Moscow, Russia, March 31
By Orkhan Yolchuyev - Trend:
Russia and the US are working together within joint international mechanisms to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, says Mariya Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson.
Approaches of Moscow and Washington cannot be said to be identical or to coincide on all the issues, Zakharova said at a briefing March 31, Trend correspondent in Moscow reported.
"Nevertheless, we are seeking a resolution and use diplomacy for this," she added.
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 US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.