FM: Russia interested in maintaining friendly relations with S. Caucasus states

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Russia is interested in maintaining friendly relations with all its neighbors in the South Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on May 24.

The ministry reported that a board meeting on “the situation in the South Caucasus and Russian policy in the region” was held under the chairmanship of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 23.

The meeting discussed the main aspects of the work of Russian diplomacy for implementation of the tasks defined by the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation in the South Caucasus direction.

The meeting participants discussed the state and prospects of Russia’s relations with each South Caucasus country, as well as regional security issues.

“Among our priorities are peace and stability, advancing development of the countries of the region, and strengthening of their constructive interaction in solving common problems,” the foreign ministry stated.

The long standing Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the most important and dangerous problem in the South Caucasus. The conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region 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. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

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

Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.