MOSCOW

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the West "imposes its mediation service" on Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to support its geopolitical ambitions, not for peace.

Lavrov stated in his piece published on the Foreign Ministry website that Brussels and Washington, by interfering in the situation in Karabakh, "are bringing destabilization to the South Caucasus.”

"Now that the leaders of Yerevan and Baku have settled the issue of mutual recognition of the sovereignty of the two countries, it is time to establish a peaceful life and strengthen trust. The Russian peacekeeping contingent is ready to contribute to this in every possible way," he noted.

Azerbaijan regained full control of its territory of Karabakh last month after conducting counter-terrorism actions that resulted in the surrender of illegal armed groups, effectively ending a decades-long conflict.

Authorities in Baku have repeatedly said they will protect the rights and ensure the security of Armenian residents in Karabakh in accordance with Azerbaijan's law.

The EU invited the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia for peace talks in Granada, Spain, on Oct. 5, but Baku declined because France and Germany were opposed to Türkiye's participation.

‘UN chief’s unbiased position’

The minister also criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stating that his remarks at the 2023 Summit for Democracy in March in Washington contradicted the obligations of his position, which should be unbiased.

Lavrov reminded Guterres that military conflicts in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and many other countries were started by "strong democracies."

He also pointed out that even the 2023 Summit for Democracy was organized contrary to the principle of equality, with participants chosen "based on the principle of loyalty ... to the US Democratic Party."

"It should be emphasized that the requirements of the UN Charter also apply to the Secretariat of the World Organization, which – in accordance with Article 100 of the Charter – must act impartially, not receive instructions from any government and, of course, must respect the principle of sovereign equality of member states," Lavrov stressed.

The Summit for Democracy is a summit hosted by the US "to renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad."