Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed during a telephone conversation further steps to be taken in order to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday, Sputnik reports.
"Sides discussed the issues relating to the further steps to be taken by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution following the outcome of the meeting between the Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in St. Petersburg on June 20," the ministry said.
The sides also discussed settlement of the Syrian conflict, including the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism.
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, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.