Mnatsaganian Highlights Russia’s Role in Achieving Azerbaijan’s Compliance With Truce

Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement reached in Moscow, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsaganian told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Russian capital on October 12.

Mnatsaganian said that what the people of Nagorno Karabakh are now facing amounts to an existential threat which matured for decades and which was constantly spoken about.

“We were able to achieve some results thanks to your and President Vladimir Putin’s involvement,” Mnatsakanyan told Lavrov. “We succeeded to agree upon the joint statement on cessation of hostilities at the ministerial level. We highly appreciate your personal and the Russian President’s contribution in being able to achieve such result.”

Mnatsaganian attached importance to Azerbaijan complying with the agreement and ceasing the hostilities, and highlighted Russia’s role in this issue. “Unfortunately, at this moment we can’t practically record that we have a full cessation of hostilities. Literally before arriving here I was receiving information that Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its obligation on ceasefire. And in this context I would like to underscore the importance of introducing verification mechanisms through which we can achieve the observance of this regime,” Mnatsaganian said.

The Armenian FM noted that the massive Azeri aggression against the people of Artsakh continues since September 27. “Moreover, the true goals of resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through force are being openly presented,” he said, adding that the Azeri ambitions for physically exterminating Artsakh are no longer a secret.

Mnatsaganian briefed Lavrov on the civilian casualties and the vast damages to civilian infrastructure that occurred as a result of the Azeri attacks. He said that the Azeri military have deployed artillery, rocket, UAV and air force as well as banned cluster munitions against the peaceful population.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharian

ARMENPRESS.AM