Russia considers the Karabakh conflict settlement to be one of Russia's foreign political priorities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following the talks with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, who is paying a two-day working visit to Moscow.
TASS quotes Lavrov as saying, "Russia considers its contribution to achievement of agreement between the conflicting parties as one of our foreign political priorities. We will keep exerting active efforts towards mutually acceptable agreements. There is a real base to reach the agreements," said Lavrov.
No one denies that it is a protracted conflict, he said. The Russian minister stressed the need for specific wordings.
"It is not easy," Lavrov said. But he assured that Russia is ready to help the parties settle the conflict.
"Yesterday we thoroughly discussed the approaches to the Karabakh conflict settlement with due regard for the work done over the past years, first of all, by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs - Russia, the United States and France," said the minister.
For his part, Elmar Mammadyarov said that he shares the optimism about the Karabakh peace process. "The problem should be settled. It is overripe," he said.