Bilaterally and as a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia is interested in the rapid settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on June 23, News-Armenia reported.
"There is a basis for solving the problem," Lavrov said at a joint press-conference with Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on June 23. "There are principles and it is important that they are consistent. It is necessary to work out the actual implementation parameters and the sequence of settlement."
Lavrov said that Russia will seek to continue a direct dialogue between the presidents.
"Russia will support any efforts that will bring a solution to the conflict," he added. "The French colleagues promote ideas that will allow implementing all principles of the settlement."
Lavrov also stressed that Russia is ready to exert every effort.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries 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.