Russian Duma's Speaker Believes There Should Be Political Solution To Karabakh Issue

There is only a political solution to the Karabakh issue based on "consistent and thorough examination of all sides' positions." Gennady Seleznev made this statement speaking to journalists on Thursday following the meeting with Armen Khachatryan, the Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly. Seleznev believes that the Minsk OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) group should be actively involved in the process for settling the conflict. The State Duma Chairman emphasised that there was no need to involve any other sides including the European Council, the already existing Minsk OSCE group was enough. Gennady Seleznev believes that "the most important factor during the settling of the conflict is the good will of the sides." "We must be patient. Wars and conflicts are easy to start, but their settling may last for decades," Gennady Seleznev said. The essence of the Karabakh problem is that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union one of Azeri autonomous regions - Nagorno-Karabakh, which is primarily inhabited by Armenians, proclaimed its independence. Violent clashes resulted in the cease-fire and a decision to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.