BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 11. The further fate of Russian peacekeepers [temporarily stationed under the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war] in Karabakh will be discussed with Azerbaijan, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, TurkicWorld reports.
He noted that contacts with Armenia will continue.
“The issue of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh was not discussed with Yerevan; de facto and de jure, this is the territory of Azerbaijan,” the official added.
Previously, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the conditions of stay of the peacekeepers have been seriously adjusted.
"Over the past year, there has been a significant change in the situation in Karabakh. The Karabakh region was recognized as Azerbaijani territory by the prime minister of Armenia at the summit held under the auspices of the EU in Prague in October 2022, and he reaffirmed his position at summits held in Brussels in May and June of this year," she noted.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.
