Russia has difficulties related to the current situation in Armenia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Russian diplomacy in 2022 on Wednesday.
"When our Armenian friends promoted the need to send a CSTO mission to the border with Azerbaijan in order to ensure some stability there, we agreed on such a document at the summit in Yerevan on the parameters of this mission, but it was not possible to accept it, because the Armenian colleagues began to insist that this document should contain a harsh condemnation of Azerbaijan," the diplomat noted.
Lavrov confirmed Russia's readiness to send a mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia but noted that the Armenian side prefers to negotiate with the EU.
He noted that instead of making the situation on the border more secure, such a mission can be counterproductive if it takes place without the consent of Baku.
"Despite the fact that we are allies and that the mission [of the Collective Security Treaty Organization] is fully ready, the Armenian side prefers to negotiate with the EU so that a civilian observer mission can be stationed there on a long-term basis. This is the border with Azerbaijan, and, probably, if this mission takes place without the consent of Azerbaijan, it may simply be counterproductive. Instead of building trust at the border, it can create additional irritants," the Russian FM said.
