Lavrov: Russia does not note any provocations against its peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh
30.12.2020,
13:16
Russia does not note any provocations against its peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this in an interview with TASS.
YEREVAN, December 30. /ARKA/. Russia does not note any provocations against its peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this in an interview with TASS.
"The situation in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tends to normalize," he said. “We note with satisfaction the disposition of Baku and Yerevan to fulfill their obligations.”
Russia, in turn, continues to responsibly and effectively fulfill its function of the guarantor of the ceasefire, Lavrov said. In his words, there have been no provocative actions against the Russian peacekeepers yet.
The Russian foreign minister pointed out that the only noticeable violation occurred on December 13 on the contact line where the Russian peacekeepers were not present.
According to him, the steps taken by the command of Russia’s peacekeeping contingent in contacts with the Azerbaijani and Armenian partners made it possible to avoid the escalation of the incident.
"We will continue to make every effort to prevent the breakdown of the truce," he said.
Tension Escalation in Hadrut
On December 11, units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, with the involvement of heavy artillery, in a clear breach of the requirements of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, struck in the direction of the villages of Khin Taher and Khtsaberd in the Hadrut region of Artsakh.
According to the Armenian defense ministry, after the fighting, which lasted for several hours, the enemy managed to enter the village of Hin Tagher, as well as come close to the village of Khtsaberd. As a result of the resumption of hostilities due to Azerbaijani provocations, both sides have dead and wounded.
With the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, a group of Armenian servicemen was withdrawn from the encirclement. 73 people were considered missing. Later, 11 bodies of the dead were handed over to the Armenian side.
A few days later, the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, Lieutenant-General Rustam Muradov, told the Armenian side that official Baku had confirmed the fact that 62 citizens had been captured in Khtsaberd. A list of prisoners to be handed over to the Azerbaijani side was given to the leadership of the peacekeepers.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia's representative at the European Court of Human Rights, prepared and filed to the European Court a motion for application of an interim measure against Azerbaijan regarding 53 military personnel. A motion related to the remaining nine military personnel was submitted by lawyers.
About Artsakh War
From September 27 to November 9, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, with the participation of Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists recruited by it, carried out aggression against Artsakh at the frontline and in the rear using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons (cluster bombs, phosphorus weapons). The strikes were delivered also at civil and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
On November 9, the leaders of the Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities in Artsakh. According to the document, the parties stop at their positions. The city of Shushi, Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin regions pass over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. A Russian peacekeeping contingent will be deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are exchanged. -0--
"The situation in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tends to normalize," he said. “We note with satisfaction the disposition of Baku and Yerevan to fulfill their obligations.”
Russia, in turn, continues to responsibly and effectively fulfill its function of the guarantor of the ceasefire, Lavrov said. In his words, there have been no provocative actions against the Russian peacekeepers yet.
The Russian foreign minister pointed out that the only noticeable violation occurred on December 13 on the contact line where the Russian peacekeepers were not present.
According to him, the steps taken by the command of Russia’s peacekeeping contingent in contacts with the Azerbaijani and Armenian partners made it possible to avoid the escalation of the incident.
"We will continue to make every effort to prevent the breakdown of the truce," he said.
Tension Escalation in Hadrut
On December 11, units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, with the involvement of heavy artillery, in a clear breach of the requirements of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, struck in the direction of the villages of Khin Taher and Khtsaberd in the Hadrut region of Artsakh.
According to the Armenian defense ministry, after the fighting, which lasted for several hours, the enemy managed to enter the village of Hin Tagher, as well as come close to the village of Khtsaberd. As a result of the resumption of hostilities due to Azerbaijani provocations, both sides have dead and wounded.
With the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, a group of Armenian servicemen was withdrawn from the encirclement. 73 people were considered missing. Later, 11 bodies of the dead were handed over to the Armenian side.
A few days later, the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, Lieutenant-General Rustam Muradov, told the Armenian side that official Baku had confirmed the fact that 62 citizens had been captured in Khtsaberd. A list of prisoners to be handed over to the Azerbaijani side was given to the leadership of the peacekeepers.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia's representative at the European Court of Human Rights, prepared and filed to the European Court a motion for application of an interim measure against Azerbaijan regarding 53 military personnel. A motion related to the remaining nine military personnel was submitted by lawyers.
About Artsakh War
From September 27 to November 9, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, with the participation of Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists recruited by it, carried out aggression against Artsakh at the frontline and in the rear using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons (cluster bombs, phosphorus weapons). The strikes were delivered also at civil and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
On November 9, the leaders of the Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities in Artsakh. According to the document, the parties stop at their positions. The city of Shushi, Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin regions pass over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. A Russian peacekeeping contingent will be deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are exchanged. -0--
