Russian president, Armenian premier discuss Nagorno-Karabakh settlement in wake of conflict

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – In a Wednesday phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the implementation of agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of the South Caucasus that in fall 2020 saw a 44-day war.

Putin and Pashinyan stressed the importance of stepping up joint work to ensure regional stability, as well as the development of transport and logistics infrastructure in the South Caucasus, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Pashinyan also briefed Putin on his contacts with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and EU Council President Charles Michel on the agreement ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the statement said.

The two leaders also spoke about bilateral ties, and both expressed their intention for close cooperation in line with the principles of strategic partnership and alliance.

Putin also wished Pashinyan a happy birthday.

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

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, and the 44-day conflict saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost three decades.

In November 2020, a tripartite agreement was brokered by Russia to bring an end to the conflict.