Sergei Gavrilov, Chairman of the Committee on Civil Society Development and Public-Religious Associations of the Russian State Duma, called on Azerbaijan to preserve religious shrines in Nagorno-Karabakh and not to block their access, RIA Novosti reported.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, noted the importance of ensuring the security of the Christian churches and monasteries in Karabakh and normal church life.

“We hope that in accordance with the principles of international law, the protection of the rights of believers, the religious shrines and monasteries of Karabakh will be preserved, and Azerbaijan will show its civilization,” Gavrilov said.

According to him, now in Karabakh and in the territories transferred to Azerbaijan in general, “there are a large number of radical extremists who have come from Syria.”