Alexei Pushkov: meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents is encouraging

A new meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the peaceful process of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can only be welcomed, the member of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Alexei Pushkov said, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza.

"In my opinion, there is no alternative to the negotiation process between Baku and Yerevan, attempts to settle the conflict by force will not lead to any result, as they will not be supported by the world's leading players," he stressed.

"Therefore, we should welcome these talks. I know that the relations between the two sides are complex, I saw it in PACE and the OSCE PA - but I do not think that dialogue is impossible. Ultimately, it is important to avoid human losses, so that there was possibility of a peaceful scenario, and dialogue provides these two things - the preservation of life and the possibility of peace," the senator pointed out.

"Even if the situation seems insoluble, negotiations provide, or in any case facilitate the peaceful development of events, minimize the number of victims and the level of use of weapons, which is a positive factor. Not all international problems can be solved quickly or even slowly - but all recognize that a process that excludes violence is better than a process that leads to mutual destruction. Therefore, the meeting of the presidents in Geneva was encouraging, I hope the negotiation process will continue in the future," Alexei Pushkov expressed hope.

The senator said that the Federation Council is closely following the situation in the Caucasus. "Armenia is our official ally, including in military terms, a member of the CSTO and the Eurasian Integration Group. Azerbaijan is our very close partner and a historically important state for us. Therefore, we communicate with delegations of both countries at all international parliamentary platforms. We have contacts with both delegations in both the OSCE and OSCE PA, in every possible way trying to contribute to reducing both political and individual tensions in these areas," he said.

"I remember that there have been discussions in the State Duma and now this issue appears in the Federation Council periodically. It is an unsettled conflict and it constantly attracts the attention of those who are engaged in international politics," a member of the Federation Council on Foreign Affairs concluded.