RUSSIAN MFA: CONFLICT SETTLEMENT SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON ELECTION IN KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yesterday the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement over the parliamentary election held in Nagorno Karabakh June 19. The statement specifically remarks, «Due to the «parliamentary election» held in Nagorno Karabakh lately we would like to indicate the following. As it is known, Moscow is consistently supporting the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan equally as other basic norms and principles of the international law. Russia does not recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state. Our conviction is that its future status should be determined without use or threat of force, exclusively via political talks between all parties to conflict within the Minsk process. Moscow considers that the course of peaceful settlement of the conflict should not depend on the holding of any election in Karabakh. We would like to specially underscore that Russian citizens, who observed the election, were in Karabakh on their own initiative and exclusively as individuals. In close interaction with its OSCE Minsk Group partner (US, France) Russia will further vigorously assist Azeris and Armenians to find a solution to the conflict as soon as possible.»