​State Duma deputy: Russia has always stood for inviolability of borders in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - INTERVIEW

Baku. 17 June. REPORT.AZ/ Interview of State Duma deputy from the LDPR fraction Maxim Shingarkin to Report.

- Just about a month passed from the Vienna meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents. At the meeting the renewed commitment of both countries to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was given. And now we know about the new meeting of the presidents, which is scheduled to take place on June 20 in St. Petersburg with participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Does it mean that Russia is seriously interested in the soonest settlement of the conflict?

- Russia is not interested in unfriendly relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia at all. The Russian people are interested in peace on the borders of their country. Based on this, the President of Russia promotes a set of measures to accelerate the settlement of the conflict.

- And what will President Putin specifically say at the upcoming meeting? Should we expect a breakthrough in the negotiation process?

- President Vladimir Putin will be at the meeting to talk about the fact that Azerbaijan and Armenia can and must do everything to ensure stability in the region for interests of our people.

Russia is interested in overland route to Syria embraced in the war. The possible alliance of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran in this regard is a component of geopolitical games. In this case, Russia sees important to ensure this kind of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, to be supported later in the peace efforts in Syria. The situation in the Middle East is that Russia has no right to pull on this issue.

- Due to Russian mediation, some Armenian politicians and the Armenian lobby speak in favor of rejection of an alliance with it and turn Armenia’s national policy towards the West. How serious is Russia’s influence on Armenia in order to prevent such a scenario?

- Russia has levers of economic pressure on Armenia, as the country's economy is largely dependent on Russia.

We have the right to ensure safety of both Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, even if only within the CIS. Russia in this regard is consistent.

In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russia has always stood for the inviolability of borders, as this factor is recognized by the world community. Any unilateral conversion is not simply possible. The geopolitical reality of today confirms this thesis. And it is the direct benefit of the peoples living in this region. Those who speak from the position of revenge, just lose legitimacy.

In the former USSR there are countries, which wanted to put their state on integration with the West. This led to the collapse of their economies, and the trend itself was not supported by their peoples. It is understood in Yerevan as well. Their politicians understand that if they reject the allied relations with Russia, its sovereignty will lose its most important foundations that in the future may turn existence of Armenia as a single state into question. President Putin, I think, will explain it to the Armenian leadership at the diplomatic language.