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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes there is no reason to hinder the contacts of Armenian officials with Nagorno-Karabakh. The minister's remarks came at a press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2020, according to TASS report. 

He recalled that the agreements between Moscow, Baku and Yerevan contain the consent of the parties to ensure communication between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor, which will be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. "No one has ever denied Armenia's connection with Karabakh, and during all the decades of negotiations, the question of cutting off Armenia and Karabakh from each other has never been raised. And that is why the Lachin corridor as a concept has not been rejected by anyone, and it is still subject to the consent of the parties, including the consent of our Azerbaijani neighbors," Lavrov said.

"If we agree, and everyone agrees, that there should be a connection between the Armenians of Karabakh and the Armenians of Armenia, then I see no reason why we should prevent contacts at this level," Lavrov said.

He recalled that "Armenian officials are involved in providing humanitarian assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh, which does not cause any negative emotions in Baku, and it would be strange if it were otherwise." At the same time, according to Lavrov, "the fact that these Armenian officials make rather politicized statements in Karabakh probably causes tension."

"I think it would be better to avoid this. We have already witnessed how emotional statements made from Karabakh or about Karabakh, how the word becomes a material force, in this case, words from different sides have become a very negative material force, " the minister explained. He added that Moscow is now paying special attention to " establishing contacts between the leadership of Azerbaijan and Armenia, creating an atmosphere of trust."