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Russia disagrees with Turkish idea that military solution in Karabakh possible — Lavrov

The top diplomat noted that Moscow remains in contact with Ankara on the Karabakh situation
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, left to right, hold trilateral talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh situation at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Reception House Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, left to right, hold trilateral talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh situation at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Reception House
© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. Russia does not share Turkey’s opinion that military solution to the Karabakh conflict is possible, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview for Russian media Wednesday.

"We disagree with the position, voiced by Turkey, which [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev also expressed several times. There is no secret here: we cannot share the statement that a military solution exists and is acceptable here," he said.

Lavrov noted that Russia remains in contact with Turkey on the Karabakh situation. "During this crisis, I spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu several times. We insist that peaceful solution is not just possible, but is the only way to ensure a sustainable solution to this problem, because everything else will preserve the conflict in a somewhat low-key state. If there is no political accord, all decisions, achieved militarily, will fail: there will be hostilities anyway."

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July. Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians.