"Both official Baku and official Yerevan have highly appreciated Russia's mediation role at all levels," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing today, Paralel.Az's Moscow correspondent reports.

She noted that both Azerbaijan and Armenia have valued Moscow's mediation role during various stages of the settlement of the past conflict.

"As for the Minsk Group, we have been dissatisfied with its activities ourselves. We have criticized it more. Especially after the Westerners began blocking the Minsk Group's work... We have openly declared this position of ours. The positive aspects of the Minsk Group's work were based on Russia's efforts. These were also reflected in the trilateral agreements between Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which were highly valued by both Armenia and Azerbaijan. In February 2022, the Minsk Group was buried by the hands of Western countries. It was clear that they were not intending to resolve the situation, but to do something else—politicize, pursue their own interests... This has nothing to do with us. When there were positive aspects in the Minsk Group, we spoke positively about them. When negativity prevailed, we said that the Minsk Group was no longer functioning, its activities are being blocked, and artificially blocked. There are various historical moments, different situations, and contexts involved," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized.