-Moscow, Ankara discuss Nagorno-Karabakh peacekeeping
DM Monitoring
BAKU: Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell have held a telephone conversation.
The sides exchanged views on the latest situation in the region, signing of a tripartite statement on a complete ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities, including the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the surrounding regions of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions, return of IDPs to their homes, implementation of humanitarian exchanges, as well as the issues of opening all communications including the construction of new communication lines.
High Representative Joseph Borell praised the signing of a trilateral statement by the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Russia on November 10. He stressed the importance of respecting the agreement and ensuring its implementation. Joseph Borell stressed the need to continue the dialogue between the parties.
Meanwhile, the Russian delegation arrived in Turkey’s capital city Ankara for talks on the situation and upcoming work in Nagorno Karabakh, including the creation of a peacekeeping center, media reported on Friday.
The delegation will hold official meetings at the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
As earlier reported, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke about the upcoming visit of the Russian delegation to Turkey at a briefing held in Baku on Nov.12.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia’s PM, and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were introduced at 00:00 hours (Moscow time) on 10 November 2020.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.
Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan’s retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
