Azerbaijan, Baku, June 5 / Trend , V.Zhavoronkova/
Russia's role in the process of settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is so efficient, as it demanded, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin said.
"Russia stands for peaceful settlement of the conflict. There was a period when Moscow wanted to send its peacemakers to Nagorno-Karabakh. The composition of international mediators on the conflict has been formed and Russia has to reckon with it," Dorokhin said at a meeting in the Azerbaijani President administration Strategic Studies Centre on June 5.
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.
Russia cannot take the settlement of the conflict in its hands and command," Dorokhin added.
According to him, Russia's position is neither pro-Armenian nor pro-Azerbaijani. "We want to reach fair settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the ambassador said.