Lavrov: the liberation of Karabakh is not an internal affair of Azerbaijan

Conducting any military operations and hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh is not an internal affair of Azerbaijan, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday. Asked what would be the position of Moscow "in the event of a Baku counter-terrorist operation in the occupied territories, will Moscow close  eyes to it, or to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan," Lavrov said, "It is no longer something abstract, it is not only  the theme of  internal Affairs of Azerbaijan regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." The Minister recalled that "there is a whole set of decisions taken by the Security Council in the midst of conflict and demanded a cease-fire." "If we turn to the archives, you can see how these demands for an immediate ceasefire are respected, and who they are respected, and who have not been respected," quoted Lavrov "Interfax-Azerbaijan".

According to him, "since the ceasefire took place through the mediation of the Russian Federation and the OSCE, the requirement remains in force, to liberate the occupied territories." "But, in any case, not by force and the determination of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh," stressed the Minister.

Lavrov pointed out that it is written in the documents that have been developed by the Minsk Group of the OSCE, through its co-chairs - Russia, the United States and France, is enshrined in numerous statements that are made by the president co-chairs - Russia, the USA and France, and the documents that were signed by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan .

"Peaceful settlement of disputes is written very clearly. Thus in April 2016 there were bloody events, it causes profound concern. Russia played a decisive role to stop this bloodshed at the moment...",  Lavrov said.

According to him,  taking into account the mutual prosecution of the sides, during the meetings at the level of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan under the mediation of the Russian Federation, as well as at a meeting in Vienna an agreement was reached on the need to create a mechanism for investigating incidents, increasing the number of OSCE monitors directly on the contact line.

"This need cannot yet become a reality, because as long as there is no consensus in the OSCE. About the reasons for this may be asked the representatives of this organization,"  said the minister.—06D—