Volynkin: Russia sees no alternative to peaceful settlement of  Karabakh conflict  

ArmInfo. "Russia sees no alternative to peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict. Along with the partners within the Minsk Group, we will keep taking efforts to  bring the sides' positions closer," Russian Ambassador Extraordinary  and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ivan Volynkin has told TASS.     

The Russian diplomat recalls that the Karabakh conflict settlement  process is going on under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, which  is searching for peaceful ways to resolve the problem. He adds that  the OSCE Minsk Group is co-chaired by Russia, France and the United  States.   

"After the four-day war on the line of contact in April 2016, which  was stopped due to the timely interference of Russia, the co-chair  countries have taken a number of steps to normalize the situation.   Summits were held in Vienna (on 16 May 2016) and St.Petersburg (on 20  June 2016). Unfortunately, the arrangements reached through  international mediation, including the arrangements about creation of  investigative mechanisms and enlargement of the OSCE observers'  mission in the conflict zone have not yet been implemented. Moreover,  on December 29, clashes happened on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.   Armenian servicemen were killed, and one of the Azeri attacking  soldiers was killed in the territory of Armenia. Russia calls for  efforts to return stability to the Transcaucasia," he says.