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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Putin does not plan to meet with top diplomats of Armenia, Azerbaijan — Kremlin

The spokesman did not specify the agenda of the upcoming meeting, reporting only its start time, 3 pm

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

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Baku, Yerevan confirm participation in Moscow consultations

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not planning on meeting top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan after talks in Moscow on Friday.

"No, at the present moment the work is expected precisely at the level of foreign ministers," the spokesman said in response to the question whether the top diplomats will meet with the Russian leader.

The meeting is scheduled for 15:00 Moscow time, Peskov informed, without specifying the agenda. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves, let’s wait for the completion of these contacts," he said. Commenting the Agence France-Presse publication that the sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may sign an armistice as early as Friday or Saturday, the spokesman stated that he "cannot say anything about this yet."

He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has done vast and intense work with his counterparts from Baku and Yerevan." The spokesman noted that this work resulted in Putin’s statement, in which he called on the sides to cease hostilities in order to exchange the prisoners of war and take away the bodies of the fallen.

Putin also invited the two Foreign Minister to Moscow for consultations. "Both sides responded, the foreign ministers are on their way to Moscow, and today they will begin their work with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. We expect this meeting to begin at 15:00 [Moscow time]," Peskov said.

The spokesman redirected the question on whether any joint statements will be made after the meeting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. "But I am certain that it will be proposed, should some outcome be achieved. […] It’s a matter of consensus, everyone must agree to that," he added.

Earlier Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed the participation of their foreign ministers in consultations in Moscow which will take place on Friday. Currently the preparations for this event are underway, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July. Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan to Moscow for consultations on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh mediated by Russia’s foreign minister.

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