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Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh - Sputnik International

Live Updates: Deployment of Peacekeepers in Karabakh Completed, Russian Defence Minsitry Says

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Azerbaijani troops entered the Agdam district in Nagorno-Karabakh on Friday, in line with the trilateral ceasefire agreement, the country's Ministry of Defence said.

"Units of the Azerbaijani army entered the Agdam district on 20 November, in line with the trilateral statement signed by the President of the Azerbaijani Republic, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the President of the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement.

Agdam is a ghost town formerly controlled by the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise known as Artsakh; it is located in the centre of a district with the same time. The town, which was home to over 30,000 people at the time of the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, found itself in between warring Azerbaijan and its breakaway region. On 4 July 1993, the last residents of the town were evacuated as Armenian troops advanced and it was abandoned, earning it the name 'Hiroshima of the Caucasus'.

On 10 November, Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in Karabakh.

In line with the statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan stop at occupied positions, a number of Karabakh regions come under Baku's control, the sides exchange prisoners, and Russian peacekeepers are deployed along the line of contact and in the Lachin Corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.

As the agreement resulted in the loss of most territory controlled by the Armenian-majority self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), it ignited mass rallies, staged by the opposition, in Armenia's capital Yerevan.

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18:46 GMT 20.11.2020
18:22 GMT 20.11.2020

Those trying to slow down the implementation of the trilateral agreement between Moscow, Yerevan and Baku on Karabakh must understand that the alternative to this document is war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"It sounded quite unexpectedly for me, what you just said now about the trend to slow down the implementation of the trilateral statement of the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. People who are trying to do this should understand that there can be only one alternative — war," Putin said, addressing Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at a meeting on the Russian peacekeeping mission in Karabakh.

"And if, God forbid, this happens, then the blood of the victims will be on their hands. Those who are trying to torpedo this agreement. Everyone should understand and be aware of this," Putin added.

17:42 GMT 20.11.2020

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that there were attempts to change the nature of the peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"There is, unfortunately, a trend, we feel it, that is aimed at trying to slow down the implementation of the statement of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, not to allow this statement to take place in full, although everyone is forced to admit that it is being successfully implemented and we also observe attempts to change the nature of the peacekeeping operation, they are still latent, but they are taking place," Lavrov said during a meeting on the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

17:28 GMT 20.11.2020

The issue of protecting monuments and shrines in Karabakh is very important, and it is necessary to involve UNICEF in the work in addition to UNESCO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"I would like to say about the protection of historical monuments and religious shrines, both Azerbaijani and Armenian. This issue has an important moral human dimension. I believe that UNESCO's involvement is in great demand here. We also count on UNICEF's help to children and adolescents who are especially defenceless before the horrors of military conflicts," Putin said at a meeting on the Russian peacekeeping mission in Karabakh.

The president added that the Russian Foreign Ministry had received relevant instructions for active work in all these areas.

"All our humanitarian efforts and active involvement of specialized international agencies will help to reach a political settlement in the future, a reliable long-term political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," Putin said. 

15:47 GMT 20.11.2020

"The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is fully controlled by units of Russian peacekeepers", Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has established direct contacts with the defence ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Shoigu added.

15:38 GMT 20.11.2020

Conflicts like the one in Nagorno-Karabakh and their settlement are of particular importance for Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday at a meeting on Nagrno-Karabakh.

"For us, for Russia, conflicts of this kind and their settlement are of particular value and special significance, play a special role", Putin said.

Russia's humanitarian work should benefit both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the president said.

"All of our efforts, our help should befit the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We sympathise with everyone. Everyone who is in trouble," Putin said.

The president said he was in touch with both Baku and Yerevan.

Russian peacekeepers are monitoring the ceasefire in Karabakh effectively and the situation there is stable, Putin added.

"Our military is monitoring the ceasefire regime effectively, with both sides adhering to the regime. The situation has generally stabilised", Putin said.

The president said Russian delegations would soon be sent to Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the implementation of he trilateral statement of Baku, Moscow, and Yerevan which resulted in the ceasefire.

"I hope that the upcoming consultations will help make serious progress on these issues", the president said.

Putin has called on the United Nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) to follow the example of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and do more work in Karabakh.

According to the president, the ICRC has taken on the leading role in helping Karabakh.

"I believe it is important for other international organisations to follow this example — the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organsiation, the World Food Programme and United Nations demining service", Putin said.

 

14:56 GMT 20.11.2020

"As of 20 November, 43 inhabited localities have been inspected, where more than 2,500 buildings have damage of various degrees, and 280 of them are completely destroyed", the head of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies’s task force in the region, Igor Kutrovsky, said on Friday.

Apart from peacekeepers, Russia is deploying EMERCOM personnel to the region to provide civilians humanitarian assistance, including in rebuilding homes and infrastructure. The EMERCOM has already deployed its camp near the region's capital of Stepanakert.

12:21 GMT 20.11.2020

"The role of the Russian peacekeeping mission is to ensure the safety of civilians, to ensure that Armenian units leave the area in strict compliance with the agreement they have already left — and ensure that the Azeri armed forces enter Agdam area and assume control of it in an organised manner", Maj. Gen. Andrei Volkov told reporters.

10:23 GMT 20.11.2020

President of Armenia Armen Sargsyan appointed Vagharshak Harutiunyan, an adviser to the prime minister, a new defence minister, the press service of Armenian leader said Friday.

Another presidential decree confirmed the resignation of David Tonoyan as defence minister.

Harutiunyan, served as defence minister from 1999-2000.

09:51 GMT 20.11.2020

"Thanks to the decisions made by Russia's military and political leadership, the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh was ceased. Russian peacekeepers successfully maintain all events aimed at restoring peaceful life in the region. Humanitarian tasks are now becoming a priority ... For this purpose, the cross-agency center humanitarian response centre in Stepanakert starts full-scale operation today", Mizintsev said at a conference.

The centre is comprised of staffers of the Russian Defence Ministry's units and some executive agencies, the military official explained. He expressed the belief that the post-crisis settlement experience gained in Syria would contribute to success.

According to Mizintsev, the centre will focus on refugee return, civilian infrastructure restoration, and coordination of humanitarian assistance, and it will also help Azerbaijani and Armenian agencies to establish cooperation with international humanitarian organisations.

07:59 GMT 20.11.2020

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will address the nation later on Friday, the state-run AzTV broadcaster reported.

The address is expected at noon local time (08:00 GMT).

07:52 GMT 20.11.2020

Earlier, Armenian daily newspaper Aravot reported  citing informed sources that Armenian Defenсe Minister David Tonoyan has tendered resignation, 

According to Aravot, Tonoyan will be replaced by Vagharshak Harutiunyan, a key adviser to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Harutiunyan served as Armenia's defense minister from 1999-2000.

05:57 GMT 20.11.2020

Minsk Group, jointly co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, is currently working on a "cultural ceasefire" in the war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh region to preserve its heritage and wealth, following the Moscow-brokered agreement to end hostilities, French President Emmanuel Macron said early Friday.

The treaty for the cessation of clashes in Karabakh went into force on November 10, with Russian peacekeepers being deployed to the area to monitor the truce implementation, and the parties exchanging prisoners and bodies of those killed. In addition, under the deal, Azerbaijan regains control over territories lost to Armenia during the previous conflict.

"The guns fell silent in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are now working [to preserve] heritage and cultural ceasefire, with Armenia, Azerbaijan, our partners in the Minsk group, to preserve and restore the treasure of diversity and wealth of the whole region," Macron tweeted.

The long-standing conflict between Baku and Yerevan over the disputed region escalated into military hostilities on September 27, with both parties accusing each other of making the first move. During 1.5 month of warlike clashes, several ceasefire deals have been signed and subsequently broken by the opposing sides.

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