Russia confirms start of withdrawal of peacekeepers from KarabakhApril 17, 2024 - 16:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Kremlin has confirmed reports about the start of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh. “It is indeed so,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, said when asked by Russian media on Wednesday to comment on the reports. He did not elaborate, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports. Earlier, a number of Azerbaijani social media users published videos of Russian military convoys moving out of Nagorno-Karabakh in the direction of the Azerbaijani city of Ganja. Azerbaijani authorities initially did not confirm that the matter concerned the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers. Later, Hikmet Hajiyev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s top foreign policy aide, confirmed to local media that “the decision on the early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers was made by the leaders of both countries.” Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with a trilateral agreement between Moscow, Baku and Yerevan that put an end to a six-week war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the region in November 2020. Azerbaijan had regained control over all seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh as well as captured chunks of Karabakh proper in that war. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the region for a period of five years with the possibility of further extending their stay to protect the local Armenian population as well as a vital corridor connecting the region with Armenia. Azerbaijan, however, established its presence on the road known as the Lachin Corridor in late 2022 and effectively took it under its own control the following year, imposing a 10-month-long blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians. Russian peacekeepers’ continued presence in the region became a moot point after more than 100,000 Armenians, virtually the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh, left their homes and moved to Armenia following Azerbaijan’s one-day military operation in the region last September. Yerevan blamed the Russian peacekeepers for failing to defend the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku has all along insisted that Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory where Russian peacekeepers are stationed only “temporarily.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |