Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he hoped for a “peaceful solution” to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, in statements released shortly after announcing a ceasefire in the region disputed by Azeris and Armenians.
“We are in very close contact with the parties to the conflict (…) I hope we can achieve de-escalation and a peaceful solution to the problem”Putin said in statements released after a meeting with the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi.
However, it was not possible to confirm whether these statements were recorded before or after the ceasefire announcement.
Minutes earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the ceasefire announced by Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan separatists, which was mediated by Russian peacekeepers in the region.
“I don’t have any details at the moment”Peskov said during his daily briefing, which took place shortly after the announcement that the enclave’s forces were surrendering.
Peskov also admitted that Vladimir Putin was able to speak by telephone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan this Wednesday.
“We are waiting for an agreement on the schedule of the telephone conversation between President Putin and Prime Minister Pashinyan,” he said, as quoted by Russian agency Interfax.
When asked about the possibility, Peskov said a similar conversation with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was not planned for the time being.
“Not yet, contacts continue at work level. If necessary, this conversation can of course also take place”he replied.
Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh announced today that they have agreed to lay down their arms and negotiate the reintegration of part of the territory they control into Azerbaijan.
The decision came a day after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the enclave with a predominantly Armenian population, leaving 32 dead and more than 200 injured, according to separatists.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the agreement was negotiated by the command of the peacekeeping force that Russia has had in Nagorno-Karabakh for about three years.
Source: DN
