Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 15 /. Trend, E .Tariverdiyeva /
Russia is opposed to any action that could destabilize the situation in the South Caucasus region, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin told journalists in Baku on Friday, responding to a question about the possible opening of the airport in the territories occupied by Armenia.
"There is the position of the OSCE Minsk Group on this issue; Russia is a member of the group. Any action that may cause destabilization is unacceptable," he said.
Dorokhin said that Russia remains one of the negotiators in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is one of the main settlement instruments.
"There are different stages of settlement, and the country's participation in the negotiations at different levels, but Russia is aware of the problem and President Vladimir Putin is well acquainted with it. He is informed about the negotiations process," Dorokhin said.
The Ambassador said that Russia's goal is to help the sides reach a peaceful settlement.
Earlier, Armenian media reported on the commissioning of the airport at Khojaly in the near future.
The commissioning of the airport is an open violation of the Convention on International Civil Aviation [adopted on December 7, 1944 in Chicago], the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported earlier.
Azerbaijan will strengthen the legal level use of the application of the Chicago convention.
Azerbaijan banned the use of the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, as no one can guarantee a safe air corridor in the area, Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration said earlier.
According to Azerbaijani Civil Aviation Administration, Armenia's steps towards the operation of the airport are attempts to violate international aviation law. This air space belongs to Azerbaijan, so its use by Armenia is illegal.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ICAC) also support the position of Azerbaijan on this issue.
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 seven 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 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.