Lavrov: Russia continues to help reaching acceptable solutions to Karabakh conflict

Russia will continue to help reaching mutually acceptable solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported.

Lavrov stressed that Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Russia, and that the positions of the two countries coincide on the majority of key issues. 

“The talks with my colleague and friend, Minister Mammadyarov were constructive, we discussed the schedule of the upcoming meetings, including those at the highest level, and reviewed the situation in the economic sphere,” the Russian minister noted.

"Naturally, we spoke about the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. Russia will continue to help the sides reach mutually acceptable solutions both in its bilateral relations with Baku and Yerevan and in the formal of trilateral meetings between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. And of course, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. All our steps are being taken on the basis of principled approaches worked out by the co-chairs, i.e. our partners in the United States and France," Lavrov said.

The minister noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be settled. "We have reached agreement on most aspects of the final solution but there are two or three concrete topics that are essential to the final package that are still being discussed. I will be frank the sides are far away from accord on these outstanding issues," he admitted.

Russia is exerting serious efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told a news conference.

According to Mammadyarov, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh continues to be a major problem facing Azerbaijan. "Russia has made very serious efforts to resolve it, we discussed them in detail today. They are heard in both Azerbaijan and Armenia, there are certain prospects," the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister noted.

"We have discussed this situation quite substantively and most components of the draft Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea have been agreed," Mamedyarov said.