Azerbaijani, Russian foreign ministers discuss deal on Karabakh

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call on Tuesday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, discussing bilateral ties and issues surrounding the Karabakh region.

The two diplomats spoke on a Russian-brokered agreement last year to end the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia and work towards a comprehensive resolution to the conflict, according to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

"The sides also discussed the implementation of trilateral statements, including the activities of the working group on the opening of transport and communications," the statement added.

It said that Lavrov and Bayramov also noted the importance of "developing a cooperation platform in the 3 + 3 format," including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

- Liberation of Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27 last year, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements after the clashes erupted.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages.

On Nov. 10, 2020, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces withdrew in line with the agreement.