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Nagorno-Karabakh Residents Feel 'Relieved' at Seeing Russian Peacekeepers Arrive

© Sputnik / Maxim Blinov / Go to the mediabankRussian peacekeepers deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region
Russian peacekeepers deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region - Sputnik International
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The Russian peacekeeper contingent was deployed to the disputed region after Moscow, Yerevan, and Baku signed a joint statement marking the end of hostilities that had flared up at the end of September.

Residents of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic were glad to see the arrival of Russian peacekeepers, Deputy Commander of the Peacekeeper Forces in the region, Alexey Polyukhovich, has stated. He noted that locals have high hopes the deployment of Russian troops will mark a return to normalcy.

© Sputnik / Maxim Blinov / Go to the mediabankRussian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh Residents Feel 'Relieved' at Seeing Russian Peacekeepers Arrive - Sputnik International
Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh

Polyukhovich added that indeed life on the streets of the self-proclaimed republic's capital Stepanakert was returning to normal. The deputy commander stressed that a transport corridor allowing people to travel from Armenia to Karabakh and vice versa has been organised, and that all civilian transport is being escorted by peacekeepers to ensure their safety.

The residents of Stepanakert confess that they felt "relieved" at the sight of the Russian peacekeepers arriving.

"When we heard that the peacekeepers were coming, we felt protected. If the Russian peacekeepers are arriving that means we can finally live in peace", Stepanakert resident Natalia Petrosyan told Sputnik.

Week of Peace in Karabakh

Military clashes flared up in the Nagorno-Karabakh region at the end of September after Azerbaijan and Armenia accused each other of violating the decades-long ceasefire along the line of contact. After two failed ceasefire attempts and thousands of people killed, including civilians, the sides finally ended hostilities by signing a joint statement mediated by Russia on 10 November.

According to the document, signed by the heads of the three states, Agdam, Calbajar, and the Lachin Districts in the east, north, and west of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be handed over to Azerbaijan by 1 December 2020, with Armenian forces withdrawing from their positions there.

An Armenian soldier looks at the picture sitting on a stone bench in Martakert, the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - Sputnik International
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Ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh: Key Points of Deal to Stop Hostilities Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

While the republic's capital ended up cut off from Armenia, its residents will still be able to travel between the two via the Lachin corridor, which will be controlled by the Russian peacekeepers, in accordance with the signed statement. The Russian contingent will also be deployed along the line of contact separating the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from Azerbaijan.

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