Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 3 2005
Russian FM cautiously optimistic of Garabagh conflict settlement
BAKU
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is cautiously optimistic with
regards to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Upper Garabagh.
`We believe that there are grounds to be cautiously optimistic,
considering the ongoing meetings of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers. We will assist by all means for the parties to come to
terms’, Lavrov told journalists upon arriving in Baku for a two-day
visit.
`We are considering the fact that the mediators working within the
OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, US and France) are regularly in touch with
the parties – Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Lavrov also said that `Russia is quite active in the settlement of
conflicts in the former Soviet Union’.
Earlier, the US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian
Affairs, Elizabeth Jones, said the Bush administration is concerned
over the lack of efforts being taken by Moscow at resolving conflicts
in the former Soviet Union countries.*