YEREVAN, November 1. /TASS/. Yerevan reacts with understanding to Russia's neutrality as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the television broadcaster Al Jazeera in an interview, the Armenian government's press service said on Sunday.

"Russia is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, a go-between, and by virtue of its status it is obliged to observe neutrality. This is clear. Russia has been Armenia's strategic ally, and it remains so today. In the capacity of Armenia's strategic ally Russia has no neutrality," he said.

Pashinyan recalled that the Russian authorities had said more than once they would comply with their duties to Armenia in terms of ensuring security, if need be.

Tensions in the region surged up on September 27. Hostilities began in the disputed territory. Both sides report casualties, including civilian ones. Ceasefire has been agreed on thrice, but each time both parties began to complain about violations shortly afterwards.

Baku and Yerevan have disputed sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh since February 1988, when the region declared secession from the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic. In the 1992-1994 armed conflict Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjoining districts.