The Constitutional Referendum in Nagorno Karabakh cannot affect the negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, RIA Novosti quotes the Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs as saying.

“We do not recognize Nagorno Karbakah as an independent country and consider that its status should be determined through political negotiations within the framework of the Minsk process,” the Ministry said.

“We don’t think the process of peaceful settlement could depend on the conduct of the Constitutional Referendum,” the Ministry said.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic will hold a Constitutional Referendum on February 20.