Russia only one capable of dealing with Nagorno-Karabakh peace process - Fyodor Lukyanov
Russia’s great interest in a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict means Russia will not let tensions grow, but encourage the conflicting parties to resume their dialogue, Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs journal, said in an interview with Tert.am.
Russia is establishing control over the peace process because no one else can do it. The other OSCE Minsk Group member-states, the US and France, are less interested in a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as Nagorno-Karabakh is not an immediate threat their security.
Mr Lukyanov, what is your opinion of the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential meeting in Saint Petersburg? What will be its impact on the peace process?
I think the very fact of the presidential meeting must be welcomed. We are now witnessing better coordinated efforts than it was years ago. The reason is that the tension in April caused such serious shocks to the entire region that the sides tripled their efforts to reduce tensions. So, after the four-day war, Russia undertook the initiative to organize a second Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential meeting. We should not expect any radical changes in the current situation because it is not realistic. So the only thing to do is to resume contacts between the conflicting parties as it was lack of contacts that led to the April events.
So Russia’s great interest in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process mean one thing: Russia will not let tension grow. Rather, it will encourage the conflicting parties to resume their dialogue. I do not have great expectations about a political dialogue at this moment or about methods for a conflict settlement. But they must return to the negotiating table.
You say you have no great expectations about practical application of methods for settling the conflict. What are the obstacles?
Forecasts are difficult to make about a final settlement of the conflict. Such conflicts are settled forever and suddenly turn out to be insoluble. In Nagorno-Karabakh’s case, I do not think there is such a chance now.
Some think that by organizing the Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting Russia attempted to take the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process in hand, outside the OSCE Minsk Group. Is it not so?
There are no ‘other hands.’ Russia is taking the matter in hand not because of its great wish to deal with the settlement process. Rather, hardly any other nation is concerned with this grave problem. The US and France are concerned with it, but the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not an immediate threat to them. So it is a problem of secondary importance for them. For objective reasons, the US and France do not view this issue as part of the national security agenda. Rather, they consider it part of geopolitical games – with Russia or Turkey. Therefore, in contrast to Russia, two of the OSCE MG member-states are less interested in a settlement of the conflict. And it is Russia that has to “clear up the mess.” Moreover, it is Russia that can exercise immediate influence on both the states.
Do you hint that the Minsk Group is inefficient?
What does “inefficient” mean? If we consider efficiency in the context of conflict settlement, it is truly inefficient because the conflict has remained unsettled for years. On the other hand, if efficiency is considered in the context of de-escalation, the Minsk Group plays a positive role. Only Armenia and Azerbaijan can settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with others only supporting them.
In this case why does not Russia exercise influence on Azerbaijan to force it into implementing the Vienna agreements, which envisage expansion of the OSCE permanent representative’s office and installation of investigative mechanisms on the Line of Contact?
What does ‘exercising influence’ mean? Pinioning and forcing? Neither Russia nor France or the United States can do it. No one can. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is developing in conditions of bilateral military situation, and no progress can be made under pressure. How can the conflicting parties be made trust each other or accept mutually unacceptable concessions?
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
- 15:20 • 24.05.21 Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
- 11:39 • 24.04.21 Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
- 09:40 • 23.04.21 Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
- 15:34 • 22.04.21 Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
- 14:09 • 21.04.21 'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
- 12:37 • 03.04.21 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
- 17:33 • 11.03.21 Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
- 17:57 • 26.01.21 Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
- 13:33 • 22.01.21 Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
- 09:42 • 29.12.20 UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
- 18:41 • 24.12.20 NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
- 13:33 • 31.10.20 Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
- 16:37 • 30.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
- 11:25 • 28.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
- 13:45 • 24.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
- 11:51 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
- 11:40 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
- 10:39 • 24.10.20 Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
- 12:41 • 23.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
- 12:16 • 23.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
- 12:02 • 22.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
- 10:35 • 22.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
- 10:51 • 17.10.20 Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
- 15:09 • 15.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
- 13:13 • 13.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
- 12:56 • 12.10.20 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
- 12:23 • 12.10.20 Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
- 17:23 • 09.10.20 Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
- 15:53 • 09.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
- 14:11 • 09.10.20 Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
- 15:52 • 08.10.20 Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
- 10:57 • 08.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
- 14:24 • 07.10.20 War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
- 19:31 • 05.10.20 Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
- 16:17 • 04.10.20 Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
- 12:39 • 04.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
- 13:49 • 03.10.20 Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
- 10:12 • 29.09.20 ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
- 23:42 • 28.09.20 There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
- 18:45 • 28.09.20 EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Economy 17:01 • 22/03 Marzes remain in the focus of attention of Viva-MTS: New service center opened in Tchambarak Taking care of society, which is a core principle at Viva-MTS, has also been part of life of the Company’s staff members. Years ago, sanitary facility was built in the school with around AMD 2 million raised by the Finance and Administration Department staff.
-
Event 15:22 • 26/03 “START+”: “Kinodaran” without subscription fee, 10 GB internet, 1000 minutes and favorite apps without any limits To mention, the subscribers to “START+” tariff plan use “Kinodaran” with no subscription fee, and when using the favorite top applications, the main Internet-package is not consumed.
-
Event 10:38 • 26/03 Ucom Launches Network Modernization Efforts in Regions of Armenia With the first batch from planned shipments of this year Ucom received an up-to-date systems and radio modules from Nokia. These up-to-date modules will be utilized to modernize a portion of Ucom’s regional sites enhancing coverage in those areas and extending LTE technology.
Event
-
10:38 • 26.03.24 Ucom Launches Network Modernization Efforts in Regions of Armenia