Azernews.Az

MOSCOW – Russia is ready to further assist improvements in the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and a settlement of the Nagorno (Upper) Karabakh conflict, President Dmitry Medvedev said in a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Thursday, Russian media reported.

"Russia is ready to keep on making efforts to ensure security in the region and will further assist in the process of developing Azerbaijan-Armenia relations," Medvedev said prior to the summit of the Caspian Sea littoral countries held in the Azerbaijani capital.

The Russian leader said certain steps have recently been taken to move the Karabakh settlement forward. He noted that the unwinding of the dispute "lies in the realm of international law and relevant work is underway on all fronts".

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, thanked Moscow for its active involvement in the negotiations on resolving the Karabakh conflict, adding that President Medvedev’s personal participation plays "an important and positive role".

President Aliyev said a solution to the conflict is possible strictly in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, international resolutions and declarations.

The Karabakh conflict was discussed by the presidents of Russia and Armenia in Moscow on Wednesday. Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan said Yerevan was making an effort to promote peace and stability in the volatile Caucasus region and achieve a negotiated and lasting solution to the Karabakh problem.

Sargsyan welcomed Moscow’s increased mediating efforts. "Russia has always played an important role in the Caucasus. I hope that your endeavors will have a positive result."

President Medvedev noted that he has frequent meetings with the Armenian leader, which allows holding discussions on all regional issues and Karabakh settlement in particular.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan have held seven meetings with Medvedev’s mediation in the past two years. The latest such round of talks took place on October 27, in Astrakhan, during which the two presidents signed an agreement to swap prisoners of war and the bodies of soldiers.