Yerevan highly values Russia’s mediation efforts as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair in the process of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said on Sunday, May 11.

“It was thanks to the efforts of Russia that Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan sealed a ceasefire agreement on May 12, 1994,” Nalbandian said.

“The deal enabled the parties to pass on to the stage of the political settlement of the issue.”

According to him, although Azerbaijan constantly violates the ceasefire and went as far as to launch a large-scale military offensive against Karabakh on April 2, 2016, Armenia does continue to work with Russia and other Minsk Group co-chairing countries for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Last year’s attacks resulted in the deaths of hundreds of servicemen and civilians on both sides. Top Armenian and Azerbaijani officials reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Moscow.