Russian FM conveys Medvedev’s proposals on Karabakh to Sargsyan

Moscow prepares proposals on Karabakh

Published: 8 July, 2011, 04:34

­In Baku, Sergey Lavrov will talk about a new meeting between the three presidents 

Today, Russia’s foreign affairs minister will travel to Azerbaijan on a short work visit. In Baku, he will hold talks with representatives of the country’s leadership, in the course of which various approaches to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement should be addressed. But according to the head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies, Mubariz Ahmedoglu, the main objective of Lavrov’s visit is to organize another meeting between the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.     

Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit was unscheduled. Therefore, Azerbaijan’s foreign affairs minister, Elmar Mamedyarov, was forced to cut short his tour of France and Italy and return to Baku. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani minister was able to cross off all of the main items on the agenda. In particular, in Paris he was able to meet with French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe and discuss the prospects for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as France’s new proposals.     

The details of the current meeting with Lavrov, just as those of the recent meeting between Lavrov and Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Eduard Nalbandyan, are not being disclosed. Lavrov is known to believe that replacing the OSCE Minsk Group with any other structure would be impractical, as it “only diverts attention from the root of the problem.” Meanwhile, experts say there is a possibility Moscow could make new proposals to Baku and Yerevan. Moreover, it should be noted that after the meeting in Kazan, which took place on June 24, the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group did not take a time out, as they did before, instead deciding to intensify the negotiating process.       

This position was fully supported by the European Union, whose high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, confirmed last Wednesday that the EU supports the mediating role of Russia, and the personal involvement of President Dmitry Medvedev, in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to Ashton, US President Barack Obama, Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s joint statement in Deauville indicated that the time has come to reach an agreement, the absence of which would cast doubt on the parties’ obligations. 

“The relations between the two states are complicated,” said Ashton. “The co-chairmen fully inform me and the European External Action Service on the work that has been accomplished by them, and the many difficulties they encounter. But despite this fact, the parties need to double their efforts in order to reach an agreement before the end of this year.”

From her statement, it can be concluded that the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group will no longer tolerate further delay in finding an agreement on the basic principles, and want to complete the process this year. According to Azerbaijani analysts, the reasons for the mediator’s haste are understandable – next year, elections will be held in a number of countries that are taking part in the negotiating process, which will reduce interest in the Karabakh problem.   

It is in this context that we should view Lavrov’s unscheduled visit to Baku, the goal of which, says the head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies, Mubariz Ahmedoglu, is to schedule another meeting between the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Russia vows to support euro zone stability

13:50, July 08, 2011  

Speaking to the national Russia-24 television channel, Lavrov pointed out that Moscow has been concerned with what was going on in the euro zone.

"We hear panic forecasts that Greece is doomed to default, that euro zone will be weakened dramatically; we hear the calls in some countries to leave the euro zone to return to the national currencies," Lavrov said, stressing that market players ought to refrain from making decisions under influence of the "artificial panic."

He said that Moscow would actively facilitate in calming down the situation by active participation in the G20 summit.

"We are certain that the European Union realizes the meaning of the situation not for EU countries only but for the global economy and global finances, judging the role euro occupies in the global payments. International Monetary Fund also understands the importance of well-calculated stabilizing actions without any emotions, screams and sobs," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

According to Lavrov, the situation in the euro zone showed that the reshaping of the global financial system pushed by the BRICS countries has been "as timely as never."