YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Russian deputy foreign minister Grigoriy Karasin welcomed the periodicity of the recent meetings between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilyam Aliyev, as well as between the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs during the talk with Armenian foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, reports Armenpress.

“During the meeting we, of course, touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We welcomed the meetings between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed wish for these meetings to be continuous. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Russia, US and France) are working on this path. New meetings are ahead and will be held at different levels, both the FMs and heads of state, but the important thing is for these meetings to be well prepared in order to ensure progress”, the Russian deputy FM told reporters in the Armenian-Russian University on the sidelines of his working visit in Armenia.

The deputy FM said it’s important to ensure predictability on this matter.

“We note with satisfaction that in the recent months that tranquility and relative predictability have become usual. There is consensus among the international community and all countries on this matter: one thing is clear – scenarios of settling the conflict by force must be ruled out. And the negotiations must be held in calm atmosphere and conditions of mutual respect”, he said.

He ruled out major progress in the NK conflict settlement during 2019.

“We all would like for this conflict to be settled as soon as possible, but we must be realistic and rely on the negotiations that are taking place between the two countries by the mediation of the international community and first of all the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs”, Karasin said.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a brief meeting in Dushanbe on September 28, 2018, during which they reached an agreement to reduce tension and prevent incidents in the border. An “operative connection” has been established between the sides since the meeting of the two leaders.

Thereafter, they held another informal meeting in St. Petersburg in December on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the heads of CIS states.

Pashinal and Aliyev also met on January 22, 2019 in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan