MP: Russia making efforts to resolve Karabakh conflict peacefully
By Rashid Shirinov
Russia is making every effort to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully, Head of Russia-Azerbaijan interparliamentary friendship group, Member of Russia’s State Duma Dmitry Savelyev told Trend on May 5.
He recalled that Russia initially offered its help as a negotiator and all this time didn’t deviate from its position.
“Negotiations are underway with our mediation, consultations are held. A great job has been done. I am confident that the conflict will be resolved peacefully – in line with international law, with the mandatory preservation of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” Savelyev said.
Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
The Russian MP added that the negotiation process on the conflict must be continued within the OSCE Minsk Group framework.
“The Minsk Group is working actively, decisions are proposed, discussions are underway. All countries, and first of all Russia, create the most favorable conditions for negotiations,” Savelyev noted.
The MP expressed his confidence that this activity will be fruitful, and the conflict will be resolved.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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