YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement is always in the agenda of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova – spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, told reporters during a briefing, reports Armenpress.

Asked what is the assessment of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the current situation in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, Zakharova said: “The statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs also reflects Russia’s stance and the latest assessment over the ongoing developments in the region. It completely expresses Russia’s stance on this issue”.

The spokesperson said during the meeting of Russian and French Foreign Ministers last week the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has not been discussed in-detail.

“I can say that the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement is always in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s agenda”, Zakharova said.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk issued a statement on June 19 based on the results of their recent regional visit. The statement says in their talks in Baku, the Co-Chairs expressed deep concern over the recent violations of the ceasefire, resulting in casualties on the Line of Contact, on the eve of their visit to Azerbaijan. They appealed to the leadership of Azerbaijan to avoid further escalation. They encouraged the Sides to consider measures that would reduce tensions on the Line of Contact and the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In both capitals, the Co-Chairs called upon the parties to re-engage in negotiations on substance, in good faith and with political will. They underscored that this is the only way to bring a lasting peace to the people of the region, who expect and deserve progress in the settlement of the conflict.