Russia is convinced of high chances for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told media, commenting on the joint statement, recently made by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, ITAR-TASS reported.
"If we compare the resolutions of all the last summits of G8 on the
problem, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion," he said. "A chance for a peaceful
settlement today is much higher than before. We are not on the verge of a new conflict. We are much closer to a settlement. The great coordinated work was conducted. There is a chance for progress and compromise now.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy called on the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to demonstrate the political will and to finalize the basic principles [the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh] during the upcoming Armenian-Azerbaijani summit in June.
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.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.