Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict resolved: Russian FM

TEHRAN

The prolonged dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia has, on the whole, been settled, as the parties only need to implement additional tangible measures to completely restore and normalize their relations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

“The conflict has been resolved, by and large. Both sides agreed that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, and that was the main unresolved issue,” Russia's Tass news agency quoted Lavrov as saying in a Tehran submit of foreign ministers in the "3+3" format for the establishment of permanent peace and stability at the South Caucaus.

Turkish, Iranian, Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers also attended the summit. A joint statement said participants agreed to respect the territorial integrity of countries in the region.

"Now, of course, practical steps remain for the full normalization of relations, first of all, to prepare a peace treaty, delimit borders and establish transport and economic connections without obstacles, all of which were agreed upon in the meetings of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia,” Lavrov said.

According to Lavrov, Brussels and Washington continue to try to infiltrate the process of delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"During the last year, there have been attempts, [they continue] to infiltrate the process of delimitation [of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan]; first of all, from the European Union and to some extent also from the United States," the Russian foreign minister noted.

This September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order in the region, after which illegal Armenian separatist forces in the region surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty in the region, has reiterated its call on the ethnic Armenian population in Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijani society.