Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan reach agreement, Karabakh war nearing completion
MOSCOW/BAKU/YEREVAN. Nov 10 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan adopted a trilateral statement announcing a full ceasefire and halt to all fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh from 00:00 a.m. Moscow time on November 10. Azerbaijani and Armenian forces stopped at their current positions.
A full ceasefire was announced in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone from midnight on November 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"On November 9, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, and the president of the Russian Federation signed a statement that ushered in a full ceasefire and a halt to all fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone from 00:00 a.m. Moscow time on November 10, 2020. The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia shall stop at their current positions," Putin said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to exchange captives and war dead, and refugees will return to Nagorno-Karabakh, Vladimir Putin said.
"Internally displaced persons and refugees will return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent districts under the oversight of the UN high commissioner for refugees," Putin told the Rossiya 24 television channel.
"The parties will also exchange prisoners of war, other detained persons, and war dead," he said.
Russian peacekeeping troops will be deployed along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the corridor that connects it with Armenia, Putin said.
"A peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is being deployed along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the corridor that connects Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia," Putin said in a televised address.
Under the agreements reached by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia on Nagorno-Karabakh, all economic and transport links in the region will be reopened and the Border Service of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) will monitor the transport links there.
"All economic and transport links in the region will be unblocked. Oversight over the transport links will be conducted by the Border Service of Russia's FSB," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh.
The United States and France, which are co-chair countries of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group for settling the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, were not involved in drawing up the latest agreement on a ceasefire in the conflict zone, which was made between Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia early on Tuesday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"This is a trilateral statement," Peskov told journalists on Tuesday, in reply to their questions.
Azerbaijan's statement
The signed trilateral statement will become a crucial point in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a statement.
"Today, a line is drawn in the settlement of the protracted conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The occupation of Azerbaijani territories is coming to an end. [...] In my opinion, the settlement will be beneficial both to the people of Azerbaijan, the people of Armenia, and all peoples of the region. I have no doubt that the military-political resolution of the conflict will bring lasting peace and solidarity to our region and will put an end to the standoff and bloodshed," Aliyev said in a videoconference call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The videoconference call was aired by the Azerbaijani state-run television channel AzTV.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the most protracted conflicts in the region, as well as in Eurasia, Aliyev said. "The ending of this conflict is a historic event, above all for the people of Azerbaijan, who will be free from the years-long occupation of their territories. This is also the triumph of norms and principles of international law and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, which, regretfully, remained on paper for many years," the Azerbaijani president said.
A joint peacekeeping mission of Russia and Turkey will be carried out in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"It will be a joint peacekeeping mission of Russia and Turkey. It is a new format," Aliyev said during a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin aired on the Azerbaijani state-run television channel AzTV.
This new format of cooperation will involve not only steps to settle the conflict, but will also be part of efforts to promote further development, Aliyev said.
"Therefore, one of the points of the statement is the reopening of all transport links. This will benefit all countries of the region," he said.
The Azerbaijani president thanked his Russian and Turkish counterparts for their role in settling the conflict.
Meanwhile, in his address to the nation, Aliyev said that "Point 5 of the agreement states that a peacekeeping center to monitor the ceasefire is being deployed in order to bolster the effectiveness of oversight over the conflict parties' compliance with the agreements."
"This is a new monitoring mechanism in which Russia and Turkey are represented. Thus, Turkey will play a role in the future efforts to settle the conflict," he said.
Schedule of Armenian forces' withdrawal
The trilateral statement regarding the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict contains a schedule of Armenian forces' withdrawal from the region, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"The Agdam region and the territories held by the Armenian Party in the Ghazakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall be returned to the Azerbaijani Party by November 20, 2020," Aliyev quoted the trilateral statement in a televised address to the nation.
"The Republic of Armenia will return the Kelbajar region to the Republic of Azerbaijan by November 15, 2020, and the Lachin region by December 1, 2020, leaving behind the Lachin corridor (5 km wide), which will ensure the connection of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and at the same time will not affect the city of Shusha," the statement quoted by Aliyev said.
"By the agreement of the Parties, in the next three years, a plan for the construction of a new traffic route along the Lachin corridor will be determined, providing communication between Stepanakert and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route. The Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of traffic along the Lachin corridor for citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions," the statement said.
"The peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is being deployed in parallel with the withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces. The duration of the stay of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is five years, with an automatic extension for the next five-year periods, if none of the Parties declare an intention to terminate the application of this provision six months before the expiration of the period. In order to increase the effectiveness of control over the implementation of the agreements by the Parties to the conflict, a peacekeeping center is being deployed to control the ceasefire," Aliyev quoted the statement as saying.
Armenia's announcement
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced the signing of a trilateral statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which ended the war in Nagorno-Karabakh at 1 a.m. on November 10.
"The text of this statement is very painful for me personally and for our people. My decision is based on an in-depth analysis of the military situation and an assessment done by people with the best knowledge of the situation," Pashinyan said on Facebook.
He said he signed the statement as he "believes this is the best solution to the current situation."
"This is not a victory, but there is no defeat until you concede defeat. We will never concede defeat, so this should be the beginning of an era of national consolidation and revival. We should analyze the years of our independence in order to plan our future and to not repeat the mistakes of the past," Pashinyan said.
"I kneel down before the fallen soldiers. I bow to all military, officers, generals and militiamen who have been guarding the fatherland with their lives. Their selflessness has saved the Armenians of Artsakh [the Armenian name of Nagorno-Karabakh]. We kept on fighting until the end. And we will prevail. Artsakh is standing. Long live Armenia. Long live Artsakh," the Armenian prime minister said.
The Armed Forces insisted on the adoption by Armenia of a joint statement with Russia and Azerbaijan on a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the deployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to the region, Nikol Pashinyan said during a livestream on Facebook on Tuesday.
"I made this decision after the army kept insisting for a long time on the need to take such a step. The army said that it is necessary to stop, that there are certain problems and they either do not see the prospects to solve them or the resources for their resolution have been exhausted," Pashinyan said.
The content of the statement does not benefit Armenia, he said.
"But, otherwise, if the agreement had not been signed, it would negatively affect our combat capabilities," the Armenian prime minister said.
The fighting in the Karabakh conflict zone did not completely stop despite the trilateral statement of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia that declared a ceasefire starting at 12 a.m. Moscow time on November 10, Pashinyan said.
"Regretfully, the fighting has not completely stopped. Hopefully, a full ceasefire will be implemented shortly," Pashinyan said in a live statement on Facebook.
Pashinyan has said that he is in Armenia and continues to fulfill his duties.
"Of course, I'm in Armenia and I am continuing to do my work as Armenia's prime minister in full," Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.
Earlier, hundreds of people discontent with Pashinyan's decision on Nagorno-Karabakh gathered outside the government headquarters in the center of Yerevan.
Some demonstrators then headed to the government-owned cottages where Pashinyan lives with his family. Law enforcement personnel guarding the territory told them that the prime minister was not at home. Clashes then broke out between the police and protesters.
Overnight, demonstrators fully seized the Armenian government building.
Several dozen people destroyed furniture and electronic equipment inside and broke doors and windows, some of them in Pashinyan's office, an Interfax correspondent reported.
The war in Nagorno-Karabakh is not completely over yet, but the time has come to stop the bloodshed, Armenia's Defense Ministry and Armed Forces General Staff said in a joint statement.
"Our army has done everything possible and impossible, effectively fighting against the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, which has a population of ten million, and several thousand terrorist mercenaries, amid the full military, political, and diplomatic support provided by Turkey. But the time has come to stop the bloodshed. The political leadership of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan reached an agreement. However, the war is yet to be brought to a full-fledged conclusion, and the fighting is continuing in Artsakh [Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh] for now," they said.
The Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Armed Forces said that they are duty-bound to fulfill the decisions adopted by Armenia's military and political leadership following a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the situation.
"We must stop the bloodshed and find the bodies of all of our heroes and bury them with all military honors. We must restore and further strengthen the potential of our army and turn it into a cutting-edge and super combat capable fist. There is a great deal for us to do. The war is nearing its completion. The army has done its part and will continue doing it till the end," according to the statement.
The Defense Ministry and the General Staff also called on citizens to refrain from actions that can shatter the foundations of statehood.
Unrecognize NKR's consent
President of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Arayik Harutyunyan said he had discussed the cessation of hostilities in the Karabakh conflict zone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and deputies of the NKR parliament.
"We have been discussing our actions towards stopping the hostilities with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan all day long. I have also discussed the issue with deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament and gained approval from most of them. Given the difficult situation and the need to avoid further heavy casualties and the complete loss of Artsakh, I have given my consent to stop the war," Harutyunyan said on Facebook.
He said he would make a special address in connection with the statement of the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Armenian prime minister regarding the termination of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Vagram Poghosyan, press secretary of the president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), said on November 9 that the NKR Defense Army was no longer in control of the city of Shushi (known in Azerbaijan as Shusha) and Azerbaijani forces were approaching the unrecognized republic's capital Stepanakert.
Turkey's involvement denied
The Armenian prime minister's press secretary Mane Gevorkyan has denied Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's remarks that Turkish servicemen will participate in the peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"The statement made by the president of Azerbaijan that Turkish servicemen will take part in the peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh is not true," Gevorkyan told journalists from the Armenian news website PanArmenian.
The peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh will be Russian, and only some of its elements might be coordinated with Ankara, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov said.
"We have seen certain references to Turkey in the statement made by Mr. Aliyev [the president of Azerbaijan] - that it would be a joint operation. But let us take a closer look at the trilateral statement [of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan] and the address of the president of the Russian Federation. It speaks precisely of a Russian peacekeeping contingent. Yes, certain elements of coordination of actions by the sides are possible because the very fact of Turkey's presence in Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be ignored," Kosachyov said on the Rossiya-24 television channel (VGTRK) on Tuesday.
"But, I repeat, this is a Russian operation, a peacekeeping operation, an operation held with the consent of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The very nature of the operation will be the only efficient one," he said.
"Russia differs from Turkey and other countries involved in this conflict one way or another by only one parameter: we evoke the equal trust of Armenia and Azerbaijan. By the way, this is an important result of our diplomatic course of actions and diplomatic art," Kosachyov said.
"This is the reason why the trilateral agreement has become possible - the conflict has been stopped thanks to the consistent position of Russia, and there will be no more bloodshed," he said.
In the early 1990s, Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven districts as a result of the armed conflict with the region's Armenian population and Armenia.
The ceasefire between Armenia and the unrecognized NKR on one side and Azerbaijan on the other was established in May 1994.
Currently, negotiations are being brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group, which was set up in 1992 in the search for ways to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group comprises Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey. Russia, France, and the United States are co-chairing the group.
The situation in the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalated dramatically in the morning of September 27, 2020. Azerbaijan launched a military operation on the line of contact in the Karabakh crisis zone in retaliation to Armenia's provocations, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
Azerbaijan does not regard the self-proclaimed NKR as a party to the conflict and refuses to negotiate with it.
