Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned against delaying the launch of negotiations to settle the dispute over the Karabakh region, while his Armenian counterpart Zahrab Mnatskanyan considered that negotiations would not be effective without a complete cessation of the fighting.

Lavrov said during a joint press conference with Mnatskanyan in Moscow, that during their talks today, Monday, they exchanged views on future moves, adding: "This does not mean that all problems will be solved quickly and in one go. We understand that there must be some process, but we believe that it is The mistake is to delay the resumption of the political negotiation process. "

Lavrov indicated that Moscow relies on complying with all the terms of the joint statement on Karabakh, which was issued by the foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia following the Moscow consultations last Saturday, expressing his hope that a shift could be made on the ground in Karabakh in terms of fixing the ceasefire. Which has long been marred by violations.

In response to a question, the Russian minister confirmed that Turkey had expressed its support for the armistice agreement in Karabakh.

For his part, Mnatskanyan said that Yerevan does not see tangible progress in the ceasefire in Karabakh, stressing that negotiations on the region will not be successful unless there is a complete cessation of fighting.

The Armenian minister considered that the mechanisms to verify compliance with the ceasefire in Karabakh represent the central issue in the negotiations, adding that Baku and Yerevan are discussing, with Russian mediation, the issue of finding such mechanisms.

The minister emphasized that the OSCE Minsk Group is the only acceptable format for negotiations on Karabakh.

Source: Agencies