MOSCOW. - The large-scale military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan have struck a serious blow against the negotiation process aimed at Karabakh conflict settlement and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. 

Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian, who is on a working visit to Moscow, said the aforementioned at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday.

According to Nalbandian, urgent practical steps are necessary for stabilizing the situation.

The interlocutors continued the discussions held in the recent days on the tension of situation in the Karabakh conflict zone.

Sergey Lavrov noted that since the very beginning of escalation, Russia has exerted efforts toward the ceasefire. He noted that the use of force in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone is unacceptable, attaching importance to the observation of the ceasefire agreement and ruling out of the recurrence of such situations, as well as creation of corresponding conditions for continuing talks in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The Armenian and Russian FMs attached importance to the implementation of the proposals made by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs aimed at the enhancement of ceasefire observation. Sergey Lavrov briefed Edward Nalbandian on the Russian-Azerbaijani meetings held in Baku. 

The sides also referred to the process of implementing agreements reached between the supreme leadership of Armenia and Russia in different areas of cooperation, as well as issues on the Armenian-Russian bilateral agenda. 

Apart from this, the FMs discussed a number of pressing international and regional issues. Reference was made to the situation in the Middle East, protection of the minorities, especially the Christians, and the efforts of the international community in fight against terrorism.