Speaking at a session of NATO’s parliamentary assembly on regional security in the Transcaucasia on Friday, Sliska said, “Russian society is watching events in the Caucasus with apprehension. … The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts is also among Russia’s priorities.”

“The elections in Abkhazia are important for Russia primarily

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in terms of their impact on further negotiations,” she added.

Sliska urged NATO officials not to focus on the legitimacy of the elections in Abkhazia. “It is necessary to prepare for continued negotiations with the new leadership to be elected in this unrecognised republic. Russia will move in this direction together with the United Nations,” she said.

On the situation in South Ossetia, the first deputy speaker expressed concern about the growing number of attacks on peacekeepers in this republic.

Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, she stressed, “The main role in this process belongs to the OSCE”.

“It is necessary to make a full use of the existing negotiating mechanism and the mediation of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh,” she said.

In her words, “Other co-chairmen of the Group – the United States and France -- share this approach”.

Russia hopes that after the latest meeting between Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev in Astana, Kazakhstan, the sides will continue negotiations and use the positive arrangements made during four rounds of ministerial consultations, Sliska said.

“We hope that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly will support the peacemaking efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen,” she said.

Sliska also urged NATO policymakers to exercise “extremely cautious policies in the Trans-Caucasian area” and to establish “transparent cooperation with Russia there”.

She warned the alliance, saying: “Any actions of such a powerful political bloc are risky in that they can stir up old conflicts there”.

“The situation in the Caucasus, a region with a high risk of conflicts, requires maximum caution and carefulness,” she said.

Sliska indicated at the same time that Russia could not but watch with concern the direction that its NATO partners would channel their efforts into.

“We advocate stability and peace in the Caucasus and oppose revisions of the strategic balance of forces there, nothing to say of the attempts to compel us to withdraw from that region,” Sliska said, adding that Russia is open to cooperation with all states and international organizations seeking peace settlement in Northern Caucasus, too.

She called on NATO and Russia to establish the contacts marked by credibility and account for the interests of all countries.

“It’s essential that our cooperation with NATO in the Caucasus be transparent and predictable,” Sliska said.

VENICE, November 13 (Itar-Tass)