Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia acknowledges that the situation now in Karabakh is an internal Azerbaijani affair.
Peskov said on Wednesday: “Of course, Karabakh is an internal Azerbaijani issue. Azerbaijan is operating on its territory, which is recognized by the leadership of Armenia,” according to the Russian “TASS” agency.
Russian peacekeepers killed
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that a number of members of the Russian peacekeeping forces were killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a result of gunfire targeting the car in which they were traveling.
She explained: “While they were returning from a Russian peacekeeping battalion observation point in the area surrounding the village of Dzhaniyatagh, Russian soldiers in a car came under fire from small arms. The Russian soldiers who were in the car were killed,” according to Agence France-Presse.
Disband the separatist forces and withdraw their weapons
It is noteworthy that after Baku launched a large-scale military operation in the disputed region with Armenia yesterday, Tuesday, the Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed, earlier today, to the terms of a ceasefire proposed by Russian peacekeeping forces after suffering a series of setbacks on the battlefield at the hands of… Azerbaijan’s army, according to the Russian Interfax news agency.
From Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday (Reuters)
The ceasefire agreement, according to a statement posted on Facebook, means the dissolution of the separatist forces and the withdrawal of their weapons. The statement also spoke about the withdrawal of regular Armenian forces from Karabakh.
The Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh said in the statement: “Through the mediation of the leadership of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, an agreement was reached on a complete ceasefire as of 13:00 (09:00 GMT) on September 20, 2023,” according to Agence France-Presse.
Thursday talks
They also added that they accepted Baku’s proposal to hold talks on reintegrating the disputed region with Azerbaijan.
They also explained that “the issues raised by the Azerbaijani side regarding reintegration and ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will be discussed in a meeting between representatives of the local Armenian population and the central authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” adding: “It will take place in the city of Yevlakh on September 21.”
Azerbaijani confirmation
In turn, the Ministry of Defense in Azerbaijan confirmed that it had reached a ceasefire agreement with ethnic Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, according to Reuters.
From Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday (Reuters)
She said that the Armenian forces in the mountainous region agreed to “lay down their weapons, abandon combat positions and military positions, and completely disarm,” noting that all weapons and heavy equipment were being handed over to the Azerbaijan army.
Since 1988
It is noteworthy that Baku and Yerevan have been disputing over the Karabakh region since 1988.
In September 2020, widespread hostilities broke out in the region. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement regarding the complete cessation of hostilities.
After that, Russian peacekeeping forces arrived in the region to ensure the operation of humanitarian corridors.
On May 17, 2023, the Armenian Prime Minister stated at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik that Yerevan recognizes Azerbaijan’s sovereignty within its borders, which include Karabakh.
