Nesterenko Reminds: Moscow Does Not Recognize Karabakh’s Independence

Russia supports the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and does not recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Andrei Nesterenko said in reference to the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh held on May 23.

“Moscow accepts the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, as well as other fundamental norms and principles of international law [nation’s right to self determination is also one of the fundamental principles of the international law – Tert.am]. I would like to add that Russia supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and other norms and principles of international law. We don’t recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. We think that the status of Nagorno Karabakh must be determined without use of force and through the political negotiations conducted between the sides within the OSCE Minsk Group,” reads the statement published on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“At the same time Moscow doesn’t think that the process of the settlement of the conflict depends on the elections in Nagorno Karabakh. Russia together with its Minsk Group co-chair partners will make serious efforts to assist Azerbaijanis and Armenians to solve the Karabakh problem soon,” concludes the statement.