President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin says the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is important for Russia in terms of internal security, RIA Novosti reported.

“Such conflicts and their settlement are particularly important and play a special role,” Putin said during a consultation over the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“There are millions of Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in Russia, and without exaggeration, they have centuries-old relations with the Russians. In this sense, the conflict is of great interest in terms of politics and the ensuring of internal security,” Putin added.