Top Russian, Azerbaijani diplomats discuss implementation of Nagorno-Karabakh deals

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday discussed over the phone the implementation of the Nagorno-Karabakh agreement with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two top diplomats also spoke about bilateral relations under the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan on Feb. 22.

"The progress of the implementation of the trilateral agreements among Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia signed on Nov. 9, 2020, Jan. 11, and Nov. 26, 2021 was reviewed. It was agreed to activate the relevant work," the statement said.

Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Baku liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during new 44-day clashes in the 2020 fall, which ended after a Moscow-brokered truce. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.