Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.22 / Trend, E. Tariverdiyeva /
Russia does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state, Russian Foreign Ministry's website quotes the ministry's spokesman Alexander Lukashevich as saying.
"We reaffirm support for the principles of territorial integrity, the non-use of force, as well as other fundamental principles and norms of international law", said Lukashevich, commenting on the so-called elections in separatist Nagorno-Karabakh.
He said Russia in close interaction with its partners on co-chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk Group - the United States and France - are making active mediation efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
"We will continue to help the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides towards an early reach of compromises in Nagorno-Karabakh problem," he said.
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 and the surrounding regions.