Karabakh conflict "among Russia's foreign policy priorities"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia continues to play an active role in mediation efforts aimed at settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry ahead of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to Azerbaijan.

"Assistance to the parties in the Karabakh settlement process is one of the Russian foreign policy priorities and is in the center of Russian President's attention," the statement says.

"We presume that the conflict can be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic means, through dialogue between the parties.

"We will continue to contribute to reaching a settlement both as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and as a separate nation, taking into account our close relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia."

Lavrov will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on December 2-3 to hold meetings with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will meet in Bratislava on December 4.