Moscow does not consider that situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border  is directly connected with Karabakh settlement

ArmInfo.Issues of strengthening regional security are being actively discussed with Armenian partners in various formats, and the main for this cooperation are various  agreements and arrangements that have been formalized on a bilateral  basis. On July 9, during a weekly briefing, this was stated by  official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria  Zakharova, referring to the prospects for expanding the 102nd Russian  military base in Armenia.

"As for expanding the presence of Russian military facilities, this  is still the competence of the Russian Ministry of Defense,"  Zakharova said.

Answering the question about the Karabakh settlement, the  representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that this  issue was comprehensively discussed on July 7 at the meeting of the  leaders of Armenia and Russia in Moscow.

"The importance of the implementation of the trilateral statements of  the leaders of November 9, 2020 and January 11 of this year was  confirmed. Russia is ready to contribute to the establishment of a  peaceful life in Nagorno-Karabakh, trust between Yerevan and Baku, as  well as the elimination of mutual irritants," she said, recalling  that the acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia personally  thanked the President of the Russian Federation for his assistance in  the process of returning prisoners of war.

In this vein, she recalled that after the signing of the trilateral  statement, 97 prisoners of war were exchanged: 81 were handed over to  the Armenian side, 16 - to the Azerbaijani side.

At the same time, she noted with regret that it has not yet been  possible to fully resolve either the issue of transferring all  prisoners of war or the priority issue for Baku related to minefield  maps. Zakharova reminded once again that Russia's position on this  issue is unambiguous, their implementation without any preconditions  or linkages. She also stressed that the situation in the zone of  operation of the peacekeeping contingent is stable.

Referring to the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the  representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow  does not believe that the situation on the border of the two  countries is directly related to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, but  rather is a consequence of the lack of legal registration of the  border.

"The general background, of course, aggravates the lack of mutual  trust of the parties, that's exactly right.  We have repeatedly  stressed that as a sustainable and long-term solution to this problem  we see the earliest start of work on the delimitation of the border  between Azerbaijan and Armenia with its subsequent demarcation. We  are ready to provide the necessary advisory assistance, and currently  contacts continue through the foreign policy and defense departments,  as well as border services, including with a view to de- escalating  tensions, "she said.

At the same time, Zakharova did not answer the question of against  whom was directed "Shusha" Declaration, signed in June of this year  between Azerbaijan and Turkey, noting that Russian Foreign Minister  Sergei Lavrov commented on this issue in detail on June 30 in  Antalya.