Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Vladimir Putin of Russia cemented the key role Moscow plays in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict when they met near Moscow on Tuesday.
During talks at the Russian president’s residence in Novo-Ogarevo, Pashinyan and Putin agreed to intensify the tripartite cooperation between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.
The leaders exchanged views on the situation in the South Caucasus, spoke in favor of the continuation of the constructive work on the sidelines of the regular meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia and the consistent implementation of the November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 agreements reached between the three leaders for the benefit of regional stability, security and economic development.
According to an announcement issued after the meeting, Pashinyan and Putin stressed the decisive contribution of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh and the creation of favorable and safe living conditions for the population.
They also emphasized the need for an urgent solution to pressing humanitarian issues and the settlement of all issues through political and diplomatic means. In this context, the Parties underlined the importance of using the potential and experience of the institute of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, in accordance with its international mandate.
Pashinyan and Putin stressed the importance of intensifying the activity of the trilateral working group on the unblocking of all economic ties and transport routes in the South Caucasus, jointly chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia.
Putin expressed Russia’s readiness to participate in the restoration projects of the railway infrastructure of Armenia, including railway restoration in Syunik and other provinces of the Republic of Armenia.
The parties agreed to speed up the establishment of a bilateral commission on demarcation and security in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border area in accordance with the trilateral agreement of November 26, 2021 with the consultative assistance of the Russian Federation at the request of the Parties.
The parties agreed to intensify the trilateral cooperation between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan aimed at supporting the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and in the region in general. However, they did not discuss the so-called “peace treaty” that was on the agenda of a meeting between Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Brussels earlier this month.
The leaders noted the importance of the access and involvement of all stakeholders, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the specialized agencies of the UN, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNESCO, in addressing humanitarian issues in the region, and in providing comprehensive assistance to all those in need.
