On November 1, at a meeting with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Stanislav Zas, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that a certain game is being played on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

"The war is over. It is clear how it ended. The parties decided that they needed a mediator. It is the norm; it is a classic. Naturally, this is Russia. We turned to Russia. Russia has landed hundreds of people there. We remember how planes flew. Russian border guards, as Putin said, are on all sections of the border. And with Turkey, Iran there, and between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and so on. Well, what else do you need? Let them work in this direction. I did not say in vain that a certain game was going on. I understand the game, why they dragged the European Union into it, and why they dragged the OSCE there. Well, why? Well, it is understandable why. What will they do there if there is already an intermediary there? And the CSTO needs to be drawn into it. It is like there is nothing else to do," he added.

Lukashenko believes that Russia is already a mediator in resolving the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and this is quite enough. "Still, you were there; you saw what was happening. And the chief of the Joint Staff worked. After all, they are specialists," he said.

"You are drawn into this process; you see what is happening there. So, watch and report. Why else send some observers from Belarus, Russia, and elsewhere there? What is there to teleport to near Russia?" the Belarusian leader asked.

According to him, this conflict must end. "And God forbid, we will still foment a conflict on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border. This is also unacceptable. You have got to finish this. It is not the case that, within the framework of the CSTO, we cannot stop these conflicts. We must seriously discuss these issues at the next session of the CSTO," Lukashenko stated.

Response from Armenia

On November 2, Vahan Hunanyan, the Press Secretary of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, said that Lukashenko's statements on Nagorno-Karabakh are chaotic and divorced from the logic of the negotiations.

"We do not consider it appropriate to comment on the chaotic statements of the President of Belarus, divorced from the logic of negotiations and contradicting allied and partner relations, calling into question the obligations of the participating state signed by him within the framework of the CSTO," he added.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry responds to accusations by Armenia

On the same day, Anatoly Glaz, the Press Secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, stated that the Armenian Foreign Ministry takes a very original position regarding the approaches to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict outlined by Alexander Lukashenko. 

"Belarus has been confirming its loyalty to its allied obligations not in words but in deeds throughout its history. It is unprofessional to question this obvious fact. Integrity is one of the features of our foreign policy. Therefore, our partners and allies will have confidence in us in the future. If other countries behaved in the same way, then many problems could have been avoided," he said, commenting on the recent statement of the Press Secretary of the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

According to him, it is absolutely clear that the approaches voiced by the President of Belarus are not opposed but, on the contrary, are based on reality, are understandable, and are honest in an allied way. "It is in this open manner, without political games and intrigues, that issues should be discussed when it comes to the fate and lives of people. The summit, which, given the haste of its convening by Armenia, was held online, was attended by Pashinyan, who gave all the necessary comments to his colleagues, the heads of state. Why this belated assessment of the Armenian Foreign Ministry? Let me remind you that the Belarusian side has consistently advocated a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, making significant efforts to this end in all available multilateral and bilateral formats. Azerbaijan and Armenia's former and current leaders are grateful to the Head of the Belarusian State for his sincere desire for peace and prosperity for all the peoples of the South Caucasus and his personal contribution to the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations," Glaz emphasized.

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