“This is entirely and completely an internal affair of Armenia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. “Armenia, as you know, is our ally, it is our partner in several integration formats very important for us.”
“Armenia is our great friend. And therefore, of course, we are interested in seeing this difficult period end as soon as possible and a period of stability start again,” he said.
Peskov said that the return to political stability will allow Armenia and Azerbaijan to gradually implement their agreements brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin after the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The agreements call for the restoration of transport links between the two South Caucasus nations and a demarcation of their long border. Yerevan and Baku have made little progress towards their implementation so far.
Russia accused the European Union of trying to sideline it and claim credit for these initiatives after European Council President Charles Michel hosted fresh talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on April 5. Moscow has since been seeking to regain the initiative in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process.
Pashinian said after the Brussels talks that the international community is pressing Armenia to scale back its demands on Karabakh’s status and recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He signaled his readiness to make such concessions to Baku, sparking the opposition protests in Yerevan.