Medvedev: 'It is better to preserve current situation in Karabakh than spill blood'

Baku. 9 April. REPORT.AZ/ "Our position is that escalation must be prevented at all costs no matter what happens, no matter what someone may think. Most importantly, the sides should calm down, stop shooting, call a ceasefire, and sit and talk."

Report informs, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in his interview with Russian TVChannel’s 'Vesti v Subbotu' program, commenting on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to him, after the escalation of violence, Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, thereby demonstrating the position of the Russian Federation.

"Then other contacts followed. Representatives of the General Staffs (chiefs of staff) did come to Moscow to discuss specific military aspects of the ceasefire. Diplomats started working as well. Since I was planning a special visit to Armenia, it was considered appropriate for me to visit both Armenia and Azerbaijan, and discuss the situation with the leaders of these countries on site, so to speak. I managed to do so, and I now have an understanding of how the events were unfolding and, most importantly, what needs to be done", said D.Medvedev.

Russian Prime Minister also said that he prefers to preserve the previous situation in Karabakh than spill blood of soldiers: "The problem is that this conflict, just as any other, may be resolved in a completely definite way, and any method of resolving it will suit some people and will not suit others. So if you are asking me to choose between the frozen conflict - that is a renunciation of its early resolution – and the value of human life that is brought to the altar of its resolution, I will still choose the latter. It is better to preserve the current situation than spill blood."