Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2023) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Galuzin on Tuesday held consultations in Yerevan with Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan and Mnatsakan Safaryan. Galuzin also had a separate conversation with Mirzoyan, the ministry said.
"The current situation in the region was discussed in detail, primarily in the context of the aggravation of the situation in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh, which causes serious concern," it said.
The sides outlined the need to intensify efforts in all areas of the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization in line with the agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and agreed to continue contacts.
The parties also noted the development of the Russian-Armenian dialogue, increasing cooperation between relevant departments and the record dynamics of trade and economic relations. They expressed satisfaction with coordination between Russia and Armenia in international organizations.
Earlier, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan stated that its units had set up a border checkpoint on the border with Armenia at the beginning of the road in the Lachin corridor that leads to Stepanakert. Baku explained the appearance of the checkpoint by the illegal use of the road to Stepanakert by the Armenian side and security threats.
The border guards of Azerbaijan indicated that the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center were informed about this fact. The Armenian Foreign Ministry called the establishment of the checkpoint a gross violation of the 2020 tripartite statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. In response, Baku called the establishment of the checkpoint a legitimate step.
At the end of September 2020, hostilities resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which became a continuation of the long-term conflict and led to casualties among the civilian population. The sides made several attempts to sign a truce, but only the tripartite agreement reached overnight to November 10, 2020 turned out to be successful.
With the mediation of Moscow, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to completely cease fire and exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. Yerevan also transferred the Kalbajar, Lachin and partially Agdam districts to Baku. Russian peacekeepers were stationed in the region.
The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh began in February 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its secession from the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic. During armed confrontation in 1992-1994, Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and its adjacent areas. Since 1992, talks were ongoing on peaceful settlement of the conflict with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, led by Russia, the United States and France.
