New Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazyan held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This was announced on Thursday, November 19, by the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on Facebook.
During the conversation, the foreign ministers of the two countries stated their mutual readiness to continue developing the Armenian-Russian allied relations in all spheres, especially on regional security issues.
Lavrov and Ayvazyan talked about the practical application of the joint trilateral agreement on November 10 and details of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh – editor’s note) and the region. In this context, they discussed the efforts aimed at resolving the humanitarian situation in Artsakh, ”the statement says.
In addition, Lavrov congratulated Ayvazyan on his appointment to the post of head of the Foreign Ministry. The interlocutors also exchanged thoughts on the forthcoming Armenian-Russian cooperation schedule.
Earlier that day, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the creation of five additional centers in Nagorno-Karabakh for solving humanitarian problems. The organizational core of the Interdepartmental Center for Humanitarian Response has been delivered to the region and from November 20 will begin to implement priority measures.
Earlier that day, Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh ensured the security of the passage of the Azerbaijani military from Shushi to the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan. In addition, the peacekeepers continue to maintain the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh and ensure the safety of traffic along the Lachin corridor.
On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed an agreement to end hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh from November 10. The document also provides for the introduction of Russian peacekeepers into the region, the exchange of prisoners between the parties to the conflict, the transfer of a number of regions of the region by Armenia to Azerbaijan and the return of refugees to Karabakh.
According to the trilateral statement, the Russian peacekeeping contingent is deployed for a period of five years along the line of contact and along the Lachin corridor. The period of stay of Russian peacekeepers can be automatically extended.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a Russian peacekeeping contingent consisting of 1960 military personnel, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 units of automobile and special equipment is stationed in the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh. The basis of the contingent was the units of the peacekeeping 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Central Military District.