State Secretary - Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin discussed the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon in Geneva, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. During the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on relationship of Russia and the United States with the CIS states. In addition, the sides discussed topics of the Geneva discussions on Transcaucasia and the Transnistrian conflict settlement, the report says.

Press service of the Defense Ministry told APA that on March 29, the units of Armenian Armed forces fired on the positions of Azerbaijani Army from the occupied areas situated in nameless heights of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz region at 16.50-16.55, as well as positions situated in Munjuglu and Garalar villages of Azerbaijan Tovuz region from the positions situated in nameless heights and Aygezor village of Armenia’s Berd region at 17.05-17.10 and 17.15-17.20.

Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on “presidential elections”, which will be held by the separatists in the occupied Nagorno Karabakh region. Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev told APA that these “presidential elections” were the next provocation of the Armenian government: “It shows the approach of Armenia to the settlement of the conflict, its disrespect to the norms of international law and means that this country denies the resolutions of the international organizations adopted by UN Security Council, Council of Europe, European Parliament”.

Azerbaijan doesn't claim any territory within Armenia, as reported by "Adventure & Travel: Discovering the Forgotten Holy Land" Off Duty journal dated March 24. On the contrary, Armenia has been illegally occupying Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Azerbaijan, Nasimi Aghayev's letter published by The Wall Street Journal says.

Monitoring held on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces on March 29 revealed no incident, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend on Thursday. The monitoring was held on the Azerbaijani side by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk's field assistant Christo Christov and personal assistant William Pryor.

“The world community and the OSCE Minsk Group don’t recognize the “elections” in Nagorno Karabakh. These “elections” are fictitious”, said vice speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Bahar Muradova commenting on “presidential elections” in Nagorno Karabakh, APA reports. She said that Nagorno Karabakh was an integral part of Azerbaijan and it was illegal to hold any event there without Azerbaijan’s consent and will.

“Azerbaijani President has stated many times during his meetings both with Russian president and other corresponding organizations that Russia and Azerbaijan are partners. There are strategic relations between the countries, which cover all spheres. That’s why the Russian foreign minister’s visit to Azerbaijan is not an ordinary one. It must be assessed as an important step in the determination of priorities of our relations for the next years and stages”, head of Public Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov told APA commenting on the upcoming visit by the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to Azerbaijan.

In July 2012, Armenian separatists will hold next “presidential elections” in the occupied Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, APA reports quoting “Kavkazsky uzel”. The preparations for the “election” have already started. Chairman of the “Central Election Commission” of the separatists Rashid Petrosyan said that the candidates can be nominated by political parties or individually. Now 10 political parties registered in Nagorno Karabakh.

Under the mandate of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, monitoring of the contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops in north of Ashaghi Veysalli village of Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli region will be conducted on March 29. Press service of the Defense Ministry told APA that field assistant of Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Christo Christov and personal representative William Pryor will conduct the monitoring in Azerbaijani side.

Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan Joseph Debono Grech and Pedro Agramunt will visit Azerbaijan on June 10-15, head of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov told APA.  Seyidov said that the co-rapporteurs will make a report on result of their visit to Azerbaijan and present it to the PACE Committee by the end of the year.