There may be a readiness for some kind of diplomatic breakthrough, RIAC director on Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty

The scientific director of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Andrei Kortunov, commented to Alpha News on the statement of Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev that there are prerequisites for signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“The prerequisites for signing a peace treaty exist, given that Yerevan’s position has changed. Of course, there are still questions regarding the situation of the Armenian minority, but now this problem is less acute than it was a few months ago. Both sides have repeatedly confirmed their desire to sign agreements. There are definitely many technical issues that need to be resolved, including the delimitation and demarcation of the border. There are mutual claims regarding detained citizens and maps of minefields. But all these issues, if there is political will, can probably be resolved quite quickly. Therefore, it seems to me that the statement of the Secretary of the Russian Security Council is justified,” Kortunov noted.

According to Kortunov, there is a certain competition between the great powers regarding who will be the main mediator in the conflict between Yerevan and Baku.

“Not only Moscow is working on this issue. We know that representatives of the European Union are actively involved in this and would also like to act as peacemakers, and American diplomacy is also very active in the South Caucasus. There is a certain competition between the great powers regarding who will be the main mediator and who will have a greater impact on resolving this conflict. But, nevertheless, if a statement is made at such a level as the Russian Security Council, then this means that this is not just empty talk and there is real progress behind this, perhaps even a readiness for some kind of diplomatic breakthrough,” Kortunov said.