PanARMENIAN.Net

Russia to support compromise decision on Karabakh
10.03.2009 15:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia and Azerbaijan’s views on the situation in
the South Caucasus and ways to guaranteeing peace and stability in the
region were fixed in the declaration on friendship, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

`Our countries have concerns about existing obstacles preventing
regional governments from developing steadily. Firstly, this relates
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia’s position has been expressed
repeatedly, including by President Dmitry Medvedev. I believe it is
well known. Again, I repeat that we protest foreign intervention. The
primary responsibility to resolve the issue falls on Azerbaijanis and
Armenians. Russia is prepared to support a compromise agreement to
satisfy all parties. A viable solution is one that will return
stability to the South Caucasus,’ he said.

Commenting on the declaration signed on Nov. 2, 2008 by Medvedev,
Aliyev and Sargsyan and how it can contribute to resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Minister Lavrov said, `I must say this
document has great significance as the Azerbaijani and Armenian
leaders unambiguously confirmed their intention and readiness to
continue bilateral talks to resolve the conflict.’

`It is no accident that the results of the trilateral meeting received
support at the session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in
Helsinki in December 2008. Moreover, the three OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen – Russia, the U.S. and France – later made complementary
proposals,’ he said.

‘The fact that the presidents’ last meeting took place recently in
Zurich less than three months after the signing of the Moscow
declaration testifies to the document’s ability to resolve the
conflict,’ the Russian Minister concluded.