Kremlin says all preconditions in place for Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that no one can say how soon Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign a peace treaty, but all preconditions for that are in place.

Armenia paved the way for the signing of the peace treaty by recognizing Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Karabakh, Peskov said at a news conference in the city of Veliky Novgorod.

"Now it is unlikely that anyone will undertake to outline a timeframe (for entering into a peace treaty), but given the main issue of Karabakh's affiliation has now been resolved… it has been resolved and settled by Armenia's decision to recognize Karabakh's affiliation… then we can say that significant progress has been achieved," he said.

However, there are still many technical issues before the agreement is finalized, the spokesman said.

"But all the preconditions for this are there, and if there is goodwill, it will be possible to reach the finish line," he stressed.

When asked about the shooting of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh, Peskov said the investigation is ongoing.

"Apologies have been made, we have received information that some people have been suspended from their duties there. There are people detained over this issue. We don't know all the details yet, but at least an investigation is underway," he noted.

The official emphasized that Russian peacekeepers are putting their efforts into helping residents of Karabakh to leave combat zones.

"We proceed from the fact that a period of sustainable cease-fire will begin now, conditions will be created for the return of displaced persons to their places of residence," he said.

The spokesman pointed out that representatives of Karabakh and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday to discuss the reintegration processes.

"Of course, they are talking in the presence of our peacekeepers and of course, they are talking about the concerns that the Karabakh Armenians may have as well as concerns they may have regarding the current situation," Peskov explained.

The Kremlin representative recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, said that "all legitimate interests and security of residents Karabakh is all about the Armenian people of Karabakh, which should be guaranteed.”

"And there is such an understanding on the Azerbaijani side, you can see that it has proactively proposed these negotiations, and organized these negotiations. Therefore, there is hope here now that this conversation will yield results," Peskov said.

Regarding unblocking transport routes, the official said there is no agreement on this issue.

Azerbaijan on Wednesday suspended its counter-terrorism measures, a day after they were launched to disarm Armenian forces in Karabakh and uphold the 2020 trilateral peace agreement.

Relations between Baku and Yerevan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire, and talks for normalization of ties began.