Moscow is concerned over the escalation of tension surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. For Russia, a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, a new war in the region is unacceptable. We are also concerned about the fact that representatives of the friendly Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples are dying during the hostilities. This is stated in the commentary made by Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin and posted on the official website of the Service’s press bureau.

“There have been clashes on the line of contact of Nagorno-Karabakh in the past. The current escalation of the situation is troubling in terms of not only scale, but also the impact of external factors. Turkey has clearly and unequivocally supported Azerbaijan. In addition, the armed conflict escalating in Nagorno-Karabakh is pulling militants from various international terrorist organizations like a magnet.

Based on the data of the Service, hundreds and even thousands of radicals are being transferred to the conflict zone with the hope of making money at the expense of the new war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We have no doubt that the sides to the conflict will eventually cease fire and sit at the negotiating table with the help of the international community. Nevertheless, Russia is concerned that the Transcaucasia may become a new platzdarm for international terrorist organizations and that militants can penetrate into the neighboring states of Azerbaijan and Armenia, including Russia in the future.”