Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan and Russia have expanded discussion over the settlement process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in recent times.

Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, alongside other issues during a phone call by Ilham Aliyev to Vladimir Putin.

The presidents noted the role of Russia in the settlement of the conflict as one of the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The sides also expressed satisfaction with the successful development of bilateral relations in political, economic, humanitarian, military-technical and other areas based on strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia. They also voiced confidence that the relations at a high level will also be strengthened in the future.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia is interested in an immediate settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"There are framework and principles for resolving the problem, and it is important that the two sides have agreed upon them. It is necessary to develop the options for the actual implementation of the settlement process," Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan on June 23, Armenian media reported.

Lavrov said Russia will seek to hold a direct dialogue between the presidents and "to address the existing acceptable solutions to the remaining issues."

"Russia will support any efforts that will bring solution to the conflict. French colleagues promote some ideas that will enable translate all the discussed principles of the settlement into a practical language," Lavrov said.

He stressed that Russia is ready to make all the efforts for its part, adding that "the greater momentum will get the processes, as regular as the meetings are held, as much as efforts to be made."

For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in the conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor.

Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions calling on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories.