Russia welcomes the mutual trips of journalists from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other humanitarian steps aimed at preparing people for peace, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday, November 28.

Zakharova reminded that the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at an April meeting in Moscow at the initiative of their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov agreed to begin working on a number of humanitarian issues, including mutual visits by media representatives.

“The visits took place between November 17 and 21 and were coordinated by the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,” Zakharova said

“Journalists from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh took part in [the trips].

“We consider this joint event as an indicator of the parties’ intention to facilitate the establishment of contacts between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

We believe that such humanitarian actions aimed at preparing the nations for peace should be continued, and we will certainly support them.”

Zakharova cited "facilitating the fate of persons imprisoned on the territory of the parties" among other possible areas of cooperation.

According to her, Russia "will continue to provide the sides with the necessary assistance."