Lavrov in Yerevan to discuss Karabakh and bilateral relations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday paid an unannounced visit to Yerevan. In Yerevan Lavrov met with President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Karabakh was one of the issues on the agenda in meetings between the head of Russian diplomacy and Armenian leaders. Speaking at a Press Conference,  Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan said Armenia appreciates Russia's efforts to reach a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,."[We] discussed the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement," he said. "Armenia highly appreciates Russia's efforts aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means. We will continue working in this vein" the Minister was quoted by the Russian agency Itar-Tass as saying.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey noted that Russia is opposed to discussing Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at international venues not designed for that purpose."We, the co-chairmen of the Minsk process - Russia, the United States and France - speak out against the attempts to raise this issue at various international venues, which did not engage in the settlement," he said, answering a question on the evaluation of a report by the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Lavrov said that the co-chairmen of the Minsk group maintained regular dialogue on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "This is a very complex issue with its own history," Lavrov said.

Nalbandyan also expressed condolences the Russian plane crash over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and thanked Lavrov for the assistance in transporting home the bodies of Armenian citizens who lost their lives in the air crash in South Sudan. "Today's meeting was another good opportunity to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached at the level of heads of our states," Nalbandyan said.

source: commonspace.eu with agencies.

Phoito: President Sargsyan of Armenia welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Yerevan on Monday, 8 November 2015 (picture courtesy of the press Service of the President of Armenia).

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