Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31
By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
Russia welcomes recent political contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at a press conference on Jan.31, Trend reports.
"Our stance on this issue [the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict] has not changed. We carry out our mediation function in good faith, and qualitatively, I think. We welcome the recent political contacts between Yerevan and Baku at various levels. We have heard the constructive assessments from the two sides on the issue and we believe that this is the right way to move forward," Zakharova said.
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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