Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Armenia has not yet defined its border with Azerbaijan. He commented on the demands made by Yerevan regarding the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Lavrov pointed out that Armenia itself has not established its position on the matter, despite criticizing the OSCE Minsk Group for the same reason. He urged the Armenian authorities to refer to the statement made by the leadership of Armenia in 1991 regarding the recognition of the boundaries of Karabakh, which implies that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan. Lavrov also mentioned that the issue of the border has been artificially debated, and highlighted the contradiction in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s stance on recognizing the 1991 border.

Lavrov noted that all the leaders signed the document regarding the recognition of the 1991 border, and expressed his surprise at Prime Minister Pashinyan’s recent statement suggesting a lack of consensus. He mentioned the presence of EUMM observers from Canada and other members of the OSCE Minsk Group who are willing to go there. Lavrov emphasized that the mission is no longer solely under the Eurasian Union (EEU), but now also under the OSCE. He expressed hope that the clashes could be resolved through discussions between the leaders of Armenia and the Russian Federation, without interference from the Western press.

It appears that the resolution of the border issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan is still pending. Both Lavrov and Pashinyan have differing opinions regarding the 1991 border recognition. However, the presence of international observers and the willingness of other Minsk Group members to participate in resolving the conflict could lead to progress in finding a resolution.