The activities of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should be continued, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in an interview with TASS, Trend reports on Feb.10.

"They made an important contribution to the development of basic principles for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict [between Armenia and Azerbaijan], many of which were reflected in the statement of November 9, 2020," Rudenko noted.

According to him, the task of achieving a comprehensive political settlement, which, in accordance with the decisions of the OSCE Budapest summit (1994), was entrusted to the Minsk Group co-chairs, remains in demand.

‘The Minsk Group has strong international support and can be helpful in developing mutually acceptable approaches to further steps, but carefully, slowly when the proper time comes,” the deputy minister further said.

"Now the OSCE Minsk Group, its co-chairs could be active in strengthening trust-building measures between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Development of dialogue within the framework of civil society would contribute to the overall improvement of the situation in the region and create preconditions for further steps on the political track," concluded Rudenko.

Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, a joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.

A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.