MINSK, Belarus (Armenpress) — President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko disclosed in an interview on December 14 earlier proposals made in 2016 by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin to then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Lukashenko revealed the discussion during a meeting with Russian news media representatives, according to Belta.
“Me and Putin suggested surrendering five regions to Azerbaijan,” Lukashenko said, noting that the issue was discussed during the 2016 CSTO summit in Yerevan.
“He [Sargsyan] said — if he were to surrender those territories, Azerbaijan would cut off the road and will occupy Karabakh. Me and Putin promised we would deploy our troops and we won’t allow it to happen. He rejected the offer,” Lukashenko said.
He also revealed details from another case. According to him, he had contacts with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and then-Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan regarding a gas pipeline that Azerbaijan wanted to pass through Armenian territory to Georgia. “They were building a pipeline. I think it was a gas pipe that was bypassing Armenia,” Lukashenko said. He said that Aliyev had asked him to speak to Sargsyan, who was president at the time, in order to get permission for the gas pipe to pass through Armenia.
“I visited Armenia to speak to Serzh Sargsyan and convey the message. He rejected it,” Lukashenko said.
