Defending its national interests, Russia is very interested in stability in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on a TV program.

"The uniqueness of the current situation is that in the presence of our own national interests, stability in Armenia and Azerbaijan is a priority for us, and their relations are of fundamental importance to us," she said.

Zakharova stressed that Russia does not allow itself to play with the emotions of the peoples of other countries, and never engages in empty rhetoric. According to her, in the case of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia was able to achieve results on the basis of diplomatic efforts.

At the same time, the diplomat noted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special part in the organization of negotiations between the conflicting parties. "We must remember what work the President of our country has personally done to make the arrival of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in our country possible. Any conversation about the Karabakh [conflict] settlement, in my opinion, should start with realizing and reminding who the real friend is and who is not," Zakharova added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said that during the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had set a task not to bring the parties closer, but to work out a document that would allow starting the path to the settlement of the conflict. "I had a feeling that his task was to create a document that would be the basis for starting this very difficult but necessary path. Let’s agree that bringing the parties closer and working out a compromise document are different things. Lavrov had focused on the second approach; that is my hunch," she said, according to TASS.

"I have the impression that at that stage he (Lavrov) simply contributed himself, his intellect, his negotiating skills, his human qualities—just for one simple reason; it is a special topic for all of us," Zakharova stressed.

As a result of the consultations held in Moscow on the initiative of the Russian side, a ceasefire agreement was reached Saturday between Azerbaijan and Armenia for the humanitarian purpose of exchanging the bodies of the dead and the POWs.