MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - Russia still cares for Karabakh Armenians and is closely monitoring Baku's assurances of the provision of security of the Armenians who wish to stay in Karabakh, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"Our heart, the heart of the Russian side, still bleeds for Karabakh Armenians and we listen very closely to the statements by Azerbaijani friends on their intention to ensure the security and rights of the Armenians who wish to stay in Karabakh," Peskov said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
"We render humanitarian assistance, and our peacekeepers are working to ensure transportation of humanitarian aid and to solve daily problems of the Armenians leaving Karabakh and staying there, and this is what we will continue to do," he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan was the forerunner of the current escalation of tensions in the region, he said.
"As for other remarks [by Armenian leaders] on Karabakh, we should always remember the decision made by Mr. Pashinyan in Paris, when he recognized the Azerbaijani borders as of 1991. In fact, he recognized Karabakh as an Azerbaijani territory. This is the actual forerunner of the current situation," Peskov said.