INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia said Thursday it was ready to broker a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as Moscow seeks to reassert its influence on the
world stage after invading Ukraine.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his Armenian counterpart in the capital Yerevan on
region.Increasingly isolated Russia has lost its status as mediator in the decades-long territorial dispute between the two ex-Soviet
republics.The European Union is leading the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process, which involves peace talks, border delimitation, and
the reopening of transport links.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels in April and
May for talks on a future peace treaty mediated by European Council President Charles Michel, and have agreed to "advance
discussions."Lavrov told a press conference on Thursday: "we confirm our readiness to assist the signing of a peace agreement between
Yerevan and Baku.""The process is under way and we are ready to participate as mediators, advisors, and a contributing party."In autumn
2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over Karabakh in a war that claimed more than 6,500 lives, before ending with a Russian-brokered
from Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991
The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.
