Moscow hails Ankara’s role in Karabakh conflict resolution

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that there are no discussions to change the OSCE Minsk Group, established to mediate for peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh.

However, Moscow can only hail constructive role of the OSCE MG member states, including Turkey, in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement, she said addressing a briefing on October 20.

“It is a direct responsibility of all the members of the OSCE MG to facilitate the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” said Zakharova.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

Turkey is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, established to mediate between the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and supports the conflict resolution within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.