MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Russia is receiving information that some residents of Karabakh who have left the region earlier are planning to return, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has told a news briefing.
"We are receiving information that some of the residents of Karabakh have been thinking about returning. [As] they say, provided the conditions are in place for this and their security is ensured," Zakharova said, adding that in such case Russia will "assist these processes" in cooperation with the Azerbaijani side.
Earlier, Azerbaijani special presidential representative Elchin Amirbayov said that the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, who had left the region after the Azerbaijani armed forces conducted anti-terrorist activities, could return to their homes.
Aggravation in Karabakh
On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it had launched what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures." Yerevan called what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Russia called on the conflicting sides to end bloodshed and return to a diplomatic solution. On September 20, an agreement was reached to end combat operations. The next day representatives from Baku and the Armenian population of Karabakh met in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh "to discuss reintegration issues."
On September 28, the president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shahramanyan, signed a decree on the termination of its existence starting from January 1, 2024. The population was asked to consider the reintegration conditions proposed by Baku and independently decide whether to stay or go. According to the Armenian government, more than 100,520 residents left for Armenia. The population of Nagorno-Karabakh is about 120,000.