Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, in a telephone conversation today with Russian President Vladimir Putin, argued that the “peace deal” signed on August 8 in Washington D.C. opens new opportunities not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also for all countries in the region.

Pashinyan, according to an Armenian government press release, told Putin that the unblocking of transportation links in the region will be based on the  principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction of the countries and based on reciprocity.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stressed that the current stage of the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process began with the direct support and central role of Russia, citing the Moscow-brokered 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire.

Zakharova emphasized that the best option for resolving the problems of the South Caucasus is “the search and further implementation of solutions developed by the countries of the region with the support of their immediate neighbors - Russia, Iran, Turkey.”

Zakharova said that the involvement of extra-regional players should work towards strengthening the peace agenda and not create additional difficulties and dividing lines.

“We would like to avoid the sad experience of Western support for the settlement of conflicts in the Middle East. One example in the South Caucasus is the presence of the European Union’s observer mission in Armenia, whose activities constantly irritate other regional actors,” she said.

Nevertheless, Zakharova added that the meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the United States deserves a positive assessment. “We hope that this step will help advance the peace agenda,” she said.