Moscow: Work on Karabakh conflict settlement underway despite COVID-19

17 April 2020 17:59 (UTC+04:00)

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The work on the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is underway despite the coronavirus pandemic, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at the briefing on April 17.

“During the recent telephone conversations of the Russian foreign minister with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts, the issues related to the conflict settlement were also considered,” the spokesperson said.

"Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office are in regular contact with the parties of the conflict,” Zakharova said.

“The special attention is paid to the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on the negotiation process, as well as some aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement within the ongoing consultations,” the spokesperson said. “The situation on the border and the line of contact is discussed."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.