YEREVAN (Sputnik) — On Monday, Matvienko arrived in Armenia on two-day visit to meet the country's leadership and to discuss bilateral cooperation in economic and humanitarian spheres.
"Russian position in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is well-known: Russia exerts every effort to reach the peaceful settlement of the conflict, including within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group," Matvienko told journalists.
The speaker added that despite the protracted conflict Moscow will continue to seek a diplomatic solution on behalf of the whole region.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated in February 1988, after the predominantly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region announced its secession from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Tensions remain high despite a ceasefire agreement signed by the sides in 1994.
The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, has been mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since 1992.