We see today's visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Baku as another indicator of the friendly partnership attitude towards Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev said on Friday. According to the President of Azerbaijan, Russia, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, plays an important role in the settlement of the conflict: "We appreciate this role very much. It was especially shown against the background of another armed provocation by Armenia, when our positions were attacked, and damage to settlements was caused. More than 400 houses located close to the frontline were damaged, several dozen of them were completely destroyed, we have casualties, including among the civilian population."
Russia perceived the incident on April 2nd very warily.
As the professor of the department of theory of regional studies of the Moscow State Linguistic University Yevgeny Minin stated to Vestnik Kavkaza, "hostilities resumed after 22 years of peace, when as a result of the signing of the Bishkek protocol and the creation of the OSCE Minsk Group we managed to maintain peace in the region. Right now, it is difficult to understand which side was the initiator of clashes on the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh. At least the Russian media did not give a clear answer to this question. The most tragic thing is that people are dying on both sides, including civilians. I have only one appeal to the warring parties – immediately cease hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table."
Answering a question about the ways to achieve peace in Karabakh, Minin said: "It's a very complex issue, associated with historical, religious, ethnic, cultural and other features of the development of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The most important thing here is not to allow this problem to become a bargaining chip in the game of the forces interested in an escalation of the conflict in the post-Soviet space. Apparently, the world has such forces, it is necessary to look at this problem slightly more broadly.
Each side thinks that a decision in its favor is the only one that is fair. Therefore, a truly fair settlement of the problem can be achieved only at the negotiating table, with the participation of all interested sides. Russia can contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, serving as a mediator in such peace negotiations. Both countries – participants in this conflict – are former Soviet republics, we have always considered and consider them as brotherly, friendly nations, and that is why we are looking acutely into what is happening in the Nagorno-Karabakh region."
The expert called the refugee problem one of the most pressing issues: "Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons are the price we all have to pay for the collapse of the Soviet Union, which took place not by the will of the peoples of the USSR (remember the results of the all-Union referendum, in which the majority voted for the preservation of the USSR). Russia also has millions of refugees, including from all former Soviet republics. And about 25 million Russian people remained abroad, most of whom still can't go to Russia. Therefore, the problem of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons is a problem of not only Azerbaijanis and Armenians. This is a serious international problem, its settlement requires good will, serious efforts and a lot of time."
