The public in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic believe that Russia can stop hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict, RIA Novosti reported referring to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian.

“Armenians living in Karabakh - either here, at the front, or refugees - think of Russia as a country that, for absolutely objective reasons, can be a real mediator and stop hostilities,” Sarkissian told Russian reporters.

According to him, Russia also has an influence on Armenia and Azerbaijan, however, Turkey must be forced to leave the conflict zone.

Sarkissian believes that Moscow can influence Ankara.

The President added that the Armenian-Russian relations are not purely political, they are not the interests of a certain government in Armenia or Russia. “They are so deep that they can be called national interests,” Sarkissian said.