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The official Stepanakert attaches special importance to the regional visits of the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, in this case, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming visit to the region, expecting it will have a positive outcome, a spokesman to the Artsakh President said on Thursday.

“It is still early to talk about the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict itself given the tough, anti-Armenian rhetoric of Azerbaijan. The conflict settlement must be considered on two planes – the first one refers to the settlement of the very conflict and the second one to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. No breakthrough is likely to be marked in terms of the conflict settlement,” David Babayan said in an interview with Panorama.am.

The Artsakh official cited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s tough, nationalist speeches, which leave no room for hopes of a breakthrough in the conflict settlement.

Speaking about the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers scheduled for December, Mr. Babayan said such meetings contribute to peace and stability in the region.

“It is crucial to maintain peace in the region, especially given the fact the world is under severe tensions. We witness the fight in various regions, with explosive developments ongoing in the Middle East and Southeastern Asia. One more front in the Southern Caucasus does not line in anyone’s interest, thus the geopolitical forces will do everything possible to maintain peace and stability here. In this context, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan and Baku should also be viewed on this place,” David Babayan remarked.

To note, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has informed FM Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to Baku on 20 November, to be followed by a visit to Yerevan on 20-21 November.