Russia, Moscow, 14 March / corr. Trend R. Agayev/ The name of the parliament hearings itself did not suggest the discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Tatiana Moskalkova, the deputy chairman of the Committee on CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and for Work with Compatriots of the Russian parliament -who held hearings on the settlement of the conflicts in CIS and on appeals made to Russia to recognize the independence of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Trans-Dniester region, said to Trend .
Moskalkova said that there are a lot of conditions for giving a special status to Nagorno-Karabakh territory which does not enable to put it on the same level with South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Trans-Dniester region, as the Nagorno-Karabakh population are not citizens of Russia. "We aim at protecting the rights and interests of the Russian citizens and Russians. A large proportion of Abkhazia and South Ossetia population are Russian citizens and the RF Constitution requires the government to protect its citizens regardless of their location," the deputy chairman of the Committee said.
According to Moskalkova, however, the name of the parliament discussion and the fact that the population of self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not citizens of Russia are not only the sole reason of non-participation of Nagorno-Karabakh representatives in the hearings. "This is a dispute between the two countries-Azerbaijan and Armenia, and it requires totally different format and different political and legal settlement means. Therefore, the issue was not brought up for the discussions in the Committee on CIS," the Russian MP said.
As to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Moskalkova said that they have a common border with Russia and Russia has already begun to take concrete steps for their economic integration and to protect Russian investments in these Republics. " Russia is already taking measures to solve these problems originating from non-recognition of these Republics. If these problems will be solved, it will not have anything to do with Kosovo," she said.
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