On March 20, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced that Yuri Khovayev, the Special Representative of the Minister for Assistance to the Normalization of Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is ready to visit the region for consultations.

Zakharova welcomed progress in the peace process between Baku and Yerevan, including the completion of negotiations on the peace agreement and the establishment of interstate relations. She emphasized that this was a significant step toward security and prosperity in the South Caucasus. However, she noted that critical issues remained, such as the unblocking of transportation and economic ties, border delimitation, and humanitarian concerns. Russia reaffirmed its commitment to supporting both Azerbaijan and Armenia in addressing these issues.

In response to a question about disinformation spread by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Zakharova expressed concern over recent reports of increased border tensions. She urged all parties to exercise restraint and resolve issues through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means. Zakharova also reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to its CSTO obligations with Armenia, although she noted that Armenia’s decision to freeze its CSTO membership did not contribute to its security.

Regarding alleged US plans to transfer military equipment to Armenia, Zakharova stated that Russia had requested information from Armenia, which confirmed that there was no official request from Washington. She warned that such a transfer could destabilize the region and introduce confrontational schemes from the collective West. Zakharova stressed that the region’s problems should be resolved by the countries themselves.

She also commented on reports of the US Army’s planned transfer of military equipment from the Dülmen military base in Germany to the Zar military range for possible Armenian-American military exercises. She cautioned that if confirmed, the transfer would be destabilizing. The US Defense Department declined to comment on the issue, citing operational security reasons.