Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Yerevan, Baku, Bishkek and Astana on April 2-6. He will visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan to mark the 20th anniversary of their diplomatic relations with Russia. Lavrov is expected to attend the Council of Foreign Ministers, CSTO and CIS meetings in Kazakhstan.
Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the elections in Russia ended, but they are yet to start in Armenia. But no serious proposals should be expects.
Andrey Kazantsev, Director of the Analytical Center of MGIMO, reminded that Russia is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Medvedev made efforts in gathering presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia together. But the problem remains unresolved.
Andrey Areshev, Deputy Director General of the Fund for Strategic Culture, told Vestnik Kavkaza that Sergey Lavrov visits Baku and Yerevan with new proposals, adjustments to the Madrid principles. The foreign minister will give a new boost to negotiations, but no breakthroughs should be expected. Such visits are beneficial for Azerbaijan and Armenia, because the sides are reluctant to contact each other.
Sergey Lavrov will make a speech at the State University in Yerevan on Monday. He will discuss some of the most topical problems of the region. The minister noted that the European Union does not have the right to exploit the Caspian Sea.
Regarding the Iranian nuclear program, Lavrov said that sanctions against Iran should be lifted when Tehran convinces the world society that the nature of its program is peaceful. The approach of the six mediators made some years ago states that Iran should verify the IAEA.
The Russian foreign minister said that Syrian authorities should order troops to leave cities with opposition doing the same. The Syrian government has to make the first step.
Moreover, Lavrov said that mediators in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process have fulfilled their functions according to the Helsinki principles.
