'Russia always supports the peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict'

“Russia always supports the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Our standpoint is that the mediation mission of Russia will be continued together with the other co-chair countries,” Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov answered the questions of journalist about the policy of newly-elected president Vladimir Putin on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

One of the orders signed by the new president concerns the foreign policy. It reads that “Russia must continue its activity together with the other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. This activity is based on the assistance to the sides for the settlement of the conflict considering the high-level agreements achieved in 2009-2011. I think that it concretely expresses the position of Russia.”

Igor Popov also commented the visits of the co-chairs to the region and said that this was a planned visit. “We discussed the actual issues of the settlement with Azerbaijani President and Foreign Minister. We also discussed the actual issues of the realization of the agreements, which were achieved in Sochi. We especially discussed the progress of the work on the settlement document at the meetings. We also touched the incidents which occurred in the contact line of the troops in the end of April. As for future contacts, we hope that our contacts will continue in the next future.”

Igor Popov noted that he talked with Russian president’s special representative Michael Shvidkoy, who is organizing the meetings between Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals and young people, and noted that such meetings will be continued recently.

US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke answered the questions of journalists and said that the co-chairs couldn’t visit Nagorno Karbakh due to weather conditions.


/APA/