News - Russia MFA spox: We do not use the term ‘Zangezur corridor’

I want to draw your attention to the fact that we do not use the term "Zangezur corridor." Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), announced this at a press briefing Wednesday. "It is about the route connecting the western regions of Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan through the territory of Syunik Province of Armenia. There is a well-established mechanism for developing compromises. This is a tripartite working group of deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. At the last meeting held on June 2, 2023, the parties were close to adopting a comprehensive mutually beneficial decision to unblock transport and economic routes in the region. And we [i.e. Russia] call on our [Armenian and Azerbaijani] partners to show political will and resume interaction between the established tripartite formats, including the tripartite working group," said the official representative of the Russian MFA. Answering the question about the escalation of tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the possibility of "use of force" by Baku, Zakharova emphasized that the respective position of the Russian side is known and consistent. "We call on the parties to show maximum restraint on this topic and avoid aggressive rhetoric. And all territorial disputes and mutual demands should be resolved exclusively by political-diplomatic means and only by political-diplomatic methods. Such issues, including the return and exchange of enclaves, should be resolved within the framework of the bilateral commission for the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. From our [i.e. Russia’s] side, we are ready to provide maximum support to this work, taking into account the unique cartographic materials and expertise accessible to Russia. Similar principles are applicable in the case of unblocking transport communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan," said the Russian MFA spox.