Azerbaijan, Baku, March 6 / Trend , N.Abdullayeva/
The Russian Foreign Ministry says the continuity in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution has been retained.
"The continuity of the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been retained, despite the political situation during the presidential elections in both Armenia and Azerbaijan," the Russian Foreign Ministry 2008- report, which was placed in Ministry's Web site, says.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
For the first time during the e-period international mediators - OSCE MG co-chairs on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution (Russia, the U.S. and France), got an opportunity to continue consultations with the countries in the region and abroad, the report says.
During the meetings international mediators sought to secure continuity of direct contacts between the sides to agree basic principles of regulation. Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia have met twice in St.Petersburg on June 6 and Moscow Nov. 2.
The repeated meetings of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have provided a leading role to Russia on the resolution of the conflict.
A trilateral declaration aimed to reach a peaceful regulation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through political means has been achieved as a result of meetings with attendance of Russian president. This is the first document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that was signed by Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the reports says.