Russian president, Armenian premier discuss Baku-Yerevan tension, situation in Karabakh

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday spoke over phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and discussed the normalization process with Azerbaijan, the Kremlin said.

“The practical aspects of the implementation of the entire complex of well-known agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020-2022 were considered, including steps to ensure stability and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, restore economic and transport ties in the region and prepare a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” a statement read.

It added that discussions regarding the current situation in the Karabakh region were also addressed, and Putin stressed “the need to resolve all emerging issues in a constructive manner, in close contact and interaction between the parties and Russian peacekeepers."

A Russia-brokered truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been in force since a 2020 war that forced Yerevan to cede territories it had occupied for nearly three decades. Since then, a process to normalize ties between the two neighbors is ongoing.

At least five people were killed in the latest exchange of fire in Karabakh earlier this month.

Since late last year, Azerbaijani environmental activists have protested along the Lachin corridor, the only road linking Karabakh to Armenia, against illegal mining.