Deputy FM: Russia doing its best to put end to bloodshed on Azerbaijan-Armenia border
By Trend
Russia is doing its best to put an end to the bloodshed on Azerbaijan-Armenia border, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in an open interview to the First Deputy Director General of TASS News Agency Mikhail Gusman, Trend reports on July 16.
"We’ll do our utmost and show all our best qualities of both Russian and public diplomacy so that not only the current border conflict, but also the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a whole would improve. Indeed, this problem is very complicated and, unfortunately, in recent days, each of us sees a sharp aggravation in relations between the two countries, i.e. Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.
“I would like to clarify what now is and was happening in recent days, these are events directly on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the state border, recognized by both the countries and, accordingly, the international community. We are very concerned about what is happening," the deputy FM noted.
Rudenko reminded issuing a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, in which Russia called on the parties to immediately ceasefire and start negotiations in order to prevent a recurrence of these incidents.
"Unfortunately, the confrontation at the border is ongoing. This night there was another outbreak, clashes. Russia makes every possible effort both in contacts with the foreign ministers and with the chiefs of general staffs of both countries in order to put an end to the bloodshed,” he said. “There are casualties on both sides, and we express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hope that the persons who were wounded or suffered in these clashes will soon recover. Nevertheless, the danger of the situation is that it may affect security throughout the region.”
The deputy minister noted that the region is indeed very explosive.
"There are no diplomatic relations, no relations whatsoever between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh remains unresolved. In this connection, the role of mediators and co-chairs of the Minsk Group naturally increases. Intensive contacts are being held between them, involving, naturally, the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides. We hope that their efforts will lead to concrete results. The main thing now is to stop the bloodshed on the border and to be more actively involved in the settlement of basic things, to intensify the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. I am sure that they be involved in this.”
“Plans have already been outlined to advance this process. Nevertheless, now the primary task of the entire international community is to quickly stop what has been happening in the last two days. In this regard, the balanced position of those states that are members of the Minsk Group is very important," he concluded.
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