Lavrov: agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh settlement almost ready

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that almost all the agreements on a settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh are “on the table.”

 

“I agree that almost all the components of agreements are already on the table. In fact, we are very close,” he said after talks with his Azerbaijani and Iranian counterparts.

 

Recall, on the night of April 2 all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, densely populated by civilians, were shelled.

 

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

 

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US, are currently holding peace negotiations.

 

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.