Putin regrets situation in Karabakh still not completely calm

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian president on Friday regretted that armed clashes continue on and off in the Nagorno-Karabakh region despite existing peace treaties, leading to more casualties.

Opening a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Sochi, Vladimir Putin said discussion on the Karabakh settlement will continue later in the day during trilateral talks, which will also include Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He said Russia's peace-keeping mission and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center play a positive role in preventing wider confrontation, however, more needs to be done.

"It is necessary to discuss what has already been done and what still needs to be done by everyone, such that not only nothing like this (armed clashes) arises, but conditions are created for calming the situation and allow people to live in peace, and countries to develop," the Russian leader added.

Putin said he has held a series of consultations with other government officials about economic problems and unblocking transport corridors in the region. "A lot of questions have piled up on this topic," he said.

Baku and Yerevan were embroiled in a 44-day conflict on Karabakh – a region that lies within Azerbaijan but was under occupation of Armenia – last year, which ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10, 2020.

During the faceoff that started in September 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for nearly three decades. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

The leaders of the three countries later agreed to develop economic ties and infrastructure for the benefit of the entire Caucasus region.

Earlier this month, clashes broke out on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Russia stepping in again to mediate.