Zakharova was answering the question about the recent scandalous statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Pashinyan visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories on August 5, 2019, where he attended the "opening ceremony" of the “Pan-Armenian Games”. While making a provocative statement during the "opening ceremony" Pashinyan called Nagorno-Karabakh as "an integral part of Armenia".
“Such statements become an apple of discord and bring either additional questions or they may imbalance the fragile negotiation process,” she said. “I respect the domestic political process and understand that given the democratic model of the political system, people have the right not only to speak on any topic, but also to formulate appropriate political prerequisites. I would like all the parties to proceed from the main thing, namely, to direct all resources to the peaceful settlement of the conflict," she said.
“The process is hard and long,” Zakharova said. “I think it is clear that there is a need to act faster. For this purpose, the statements must be appropriate and contribute to this goal.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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