Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Azerbaijan in early July after his trip to Armenia, where he will take part in the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s Council of Foreign Ministers.

“Firstly, the minister will take part in the Collective Security Treaty Organization's Council of Foreign Ministers, to be held July 4, and then he will visit Azerbaijan,” RIA Novosti quoted Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin as saying June 30.

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, in 1992 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.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.