Ahead of the Medvedev-Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting set to begin in the Russian resort town of Sochi later today, Moscow has issued an official statement calling upon Armenia and Azerbaijan to strengthen trust over the Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement talks.

The Kremlin is particularly concerned over the frequent violations of the Ceasefire Accord on the Karabakh-Azerbaijan Contact Line, as well as the deaths of civilians and belligerent statements by both conflicting parties.

''Russia is consistently talking the sides into strengthening confidence-building measures. The joint statement adopted by the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Sochi on March 5, 2011 is a measure towards achieving that end. It reflects the goal to resolve all disputable issues in a peaceful manner and investigate the incidents on the Contact Line between the armed forces under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group,'' reads the statement.

The Russian authorities express hope that the parties will complete the elaboration of investigation mechanisms within the shortest timeframes.

As a measure of reinforcing trust, Moscow emphasizes the importance of resuming the dialogue between the two countries’ intellectual, scientific and public circles.

The document further says that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is set to have bilateral meetings with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts.

''The Medvedev-Sargsyan negotiations will focus on the key aspects of the Russia-Armenia strategic partnership and alliance. As for the Russian-Azerbaijani talks, they will address bilateral relations, as well as urgent issues on the regional and international agenda,'' says the document.
 

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