Russia downplays illegal elections held in Karabakh

By Azernews

By Akbar Mammadov

Russia does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state, Russian Foreign Ministry's Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a briefing on 9 April. 

"We note that regarding the elections held in Nagorno-Karabakh on March 31, there is a statement by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, which includes representatives of Russia, the United States and France. It can be found on the official website of the OSCE," the Russian spokeswoman noted.

"We presume that elections are necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the population. However, the Russian Federation does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state. Its status should be determined through political negotiations, which is what the OSCE Minsk Group is engaged in (the whole range of problems)," Zakharova said.

She added that the so-called elections will not have any bearing on the further peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Earlier, a number of countries, including France, Germany, Turkey, UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Pakistan, Latvia, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, as well as major international organizations such as the EU, NATO, OIC, GUAM, TURKPA condemned the illegal elections in Karabakh and voiced support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Group’s efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.