Russian delegation meets prime minister Nikol Pashinyan on Nov. 11, 2019

“All understand that without the agreement of the people of Nagorno Karabakh no agreement can be formalized,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said while on visit to Armenia on November 11. “Armenia simply will not sign such agreements.”

Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Lavrov also welcomed Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that any agreement should be “acceptable to the people of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.”

That said, when asked about Armenia’s insistence on Nagorno Karabakh’s participation in negotiations, Lavrov noted that it was up to Armenians and Azerbaijanis to “agree and select the composition of their delegations.”

Speaking last month, Lavrov expressed confidence that there was no imminent threat of war over Karabakh, even though sides remained far apart as to resolve the dispute around it.