Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin reports.

Putin and Michel "discussed the current situation surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and the importance of continuing consistently putting into practice the statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia from November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021," the Kremlin said.

They identified as priorities the tasks to unblock economic and transport links in the region, as well as to solve humanitarian problems facing the population. Michel expressed support for the work carried out, including that of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, the U.S., and France), it said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.