RUSSIA SAYS NAGORNYY KARABAKH SETTLEMENT CANNOT BE REACHED THROUGH ELECTION

Interfax
May 24 2010
Russia

Moscow, 24 May: It is believed in Moscow that the status of Nagornyy
Karabakh cannot be determined through elections in that region,
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko has said.

"In our view, its (that of Nagornyy Karabakh - Interfax) future status
should be determined without the use of force as a result of political
negotiations between all the sides within the framework of the Minsk
process. At the same time Moscow does not believe that the progress
of the conflict's peaceful settlement could be dependent on holding
elections in Nagornyy Karabakh," says Nesterenko's reply circulated
on Monday [24 May].

The diplomat noted that Moscow supported the principle of Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity, as well as other fundamental norms and
principles of international law.

"As is known, we do not recognize Nagornyy Karabakh as an independent
state," he stressed.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Russia was ready to
provide every kind of assistance to the settlement of the situation
surrounding Nagornyy Karabakh.

"As for Russia, in close cooperation with its partners in
co-chairmanship of the Minsk group of the OSCE (Russia, the USA
and France), it will continue vigorously to help the Azeris and the
Armenians to reach a compromise untying of the Karabakh knot as soon
as possible," he said.

A parliamentary election took place in Nagornyy Karabakh last Sunday.




From: A. Papazian