Zakharova on secret meeting in Istanbul before recent hostilities in Artsakh

Politico wrote today that the Russian and U.S. co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group and the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
held a secret meeting in Istanbul before the recent Azerbaijani hostilities in
Artsakh.

“The U.S. and the EU asked us to hold a meeting — I would
rather say, to come into some contact. The purpose of the meeting was to allow
the parties to exchange views on the situation,” Zakharova said.

According to Politico, the meeting was held on Sept. 17 in
Istanbul. A senior diplomat had informed Politico that the meeting had been organized
within the framework of attempts to pressure Azerbaijan into lifting the
nine-month blockade of Artsakh.