RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: WE SEE OUR ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT BUT WITHOUT IMPOSING ANY FORMULAS FROM OUTSIDE TO ITS PARTICIPANTS

ArmInfo
2009-11-04 11:34:00

ArmInfo. We see our role in supporting the Karabakh conflict
settlement, searching of decisions on the key problems, but without
imposing any formulas from outside to its participants. We are stemming
from the fact that Azerbaijanis and Armenians themselves should be
chiefly responsible for the final choice, Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Grigoriy Karasin said in an interview with ‘Respublika
Armenia’ newspaper.

He recalled that Russia is has been taking an active intermediary part
on the matter of the Karabakh conflict settlement since beginning
of the relevant negotiating process. ‘At present Moscow has been
implementing these functions on the multilateral basis together with
the USA and France coming forward as a co-chair of the OSCE MG – the
main international forum for searching for the political settlement of
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. At the same time we make the intermediary
efforts in the bilateral contacts with our partners in Yerevan and
Baku. It is not accidental that when meeting President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan on 12 October in Moscow Dmitriy Medvedev called the Russian
participation in the process of Nagornyy Karabakh settlement as "a
very important measure of our relations" in general’, – Karasin said.

He also added that Russia will be ready to support that option of the
conflict settlement which will be acceptable for all the parties to
the conflict, and in case of reaching compromise – Russia is ready
to come forward as a guarantor of settlement. ‘It is clear that
only that decision will become viable, which will make it possible
to return stability and calmness in the South Caucasus, and in the
post-conflict period will help to preserve the geo-political balance
of forces and will not lead to turning the region into the arena of
international political and military rivalry’, – he said.

‘Despite the existing disagreements the parties to the conflict
have managed to reach certain progress in coordination of the basic
principles of settlement. Moscow is going to continue taking all the
possible actions to ensure further development of the process’, –
Russian deputy foreign minister concluded.
From: Baghdasarian