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Existence of Unsettled Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict is a Negative Case for Russia: Committee Chairman of Russia’s State Duma

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 27 September 2007 14:29 (UTC +04:00)

Russia, Moscow /corr. Trend R.Agayev / Existence of the unsettled Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a negative case for Russia. "Today, the existence of the unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which is capable to, at any moment, take fire from the political to the military phase is very negative for Russia as well," said the Chairman of the Security Committee of Russia's State Duma, Gennady Gudkov, in his interview with Trend on 27 September.

" Azerbaijan and Armenia are Russia's near neighbors and we want the sustainable and stable peace to exist there," Gudkov said.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.

The Russian parliamentarian considers that there are sound agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh issue, which can be reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia. "The only problem is that the conflicting sides should do it themselves and demonstrate more real approach - less populism and less rhetoric and to find some way out," Gudkov said adding that Russia is absolutely prepared to act as a guarantee of the agreement because it is absolutely acceptable for it.

High-tanking parliamentarian of State Duma expressed his regret that it was failure to develop the idea of exchanging certain territories between Azerbaijan and Armenia. "Currently Azerbaijan is in a complicated situation with Nakchivan and of course, it needs to think of possible corridor," Gudkov said.

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