MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi about measures undertaken by Russia for ensuring the ceasefire in Karabakh in a phone conversation, the Kremlin press service reported on Tuesday.

"The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh was also touched upon. Vladimir Putin spoke about the measures undertaken by the Russian side to ensure the ceasefire regime, unblock utility and transport links, establish a peaceful life in the region," the statement said.

The two leaders agreed to maintain contacts at various levels.

In the fall of 2020, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated with armed clashes occurring on the disputed territory. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held, a number of regions would be controlled by Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region along the line of engagement and the Lachin corridor. After the deployment of the peacekeepers, the situation in Karabakh stabilized and tens of thousands of civilians who abandoned their homes during the clashes returned.