RIA Novosti, Russia
March 10, 2009 Tuesday 12:44 PM GMT+3

Lavrov to hold Nagorny Karabakh talks in Baku

MOSCOW March 10

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Baku on
Wednesday to discuss the Nagorny Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan’s
President Ilham Aliyev and his counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, a
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

"No doubt, the Nagorny Karabakh settlement problem will be discussed,"
Andrei Nesterenko said, adding that Russia supports the continuation
of the negotiation process and will do everything to maintain progress
as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair.

Nagorny Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a largely Armenian
population, declared its independence from Azerbaijan in 1983. The
ensuing Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict claimed some 35,000 lives. A
ceasefire was signed in 1994. The area technically remains part of
Azerbaijan, but has its own de facto government.