MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Moscow and Baku are preparing new contacts on the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and the return of the Armenian population there, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"The preparation of the next Russian-Azerbaijani contacts regarding the work of the Russian peacekeeping contingent continues. Our dialogue in this sphere is regular and constructive. Among the issues under discussion are the return of the Armenian population to Karabakh with proper provision of their rights and security, the organization of joint patrols, the protection of monuments of cultural, historical and religious heritage," the diplomat told a briefing.

Earlier, in an interview with TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin emphasized that given the radical changes in the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the conditions of the Russian peacekeepers' stay will be discussed only with the Azerbaijani side.