At a briefing for journalists on May 24, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia considers the statement of the Prime Minister of Armenia on the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as confirmation of the position that he took during the summit in Prague in October 2022 with the participation of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, and the European Union. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that a joint statement was adopted in the Czech capital, containing a reference to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, according to which the administrative borders between the former republics of the USSR are recognized as interstate.

"As we have repeatedly said, the Prague agreement set a qualitatively new framework for the negotiation process between Baku and Yerevan," Zakharova said. "Russia is a mediator in the process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement, and in this regard, it is important to have a clear position of Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh," the Russian Foreign Ministry added. "This is not just a topic, not just a question; it is a conflict that has lasted for many years. Mediation efforts were provided through international structures and regional countries. Of course, to move forward on the documents that were signed, it is necessary to understand the clear position of the state on this matter," Zakharova said, stressing that such statements are the prerogative of Armenia and its people.

Moreover, Zakharova commented on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent statement regarding Armenia's possible withdrawal from the CSTO, calling on the Armenian leadership to understand the danger of word manipulation.

The diplomat answered a question about Pashinyan’s statement that if Armenia de jure decides to withdraw from the CSTO, then this will happen as a result of fixing that the CSTO has withdrawn from Armenia. "If this is a figure of speech to lobby for a position on Armenia's withdrawal from the CSTO, then it seems to me that we still need to understand the whole danger of manipulating words. How can the CSTO leave Armenia? It is not very clear what it is about," Zakharova noted.

Read more about Pashinyan's recent remarks: Nikol Pashinyan Addresses Peace Process with Azerbaijan, Withdrawal from CSTO, and Undelivered Weapons from Russia