MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the developments around Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said in a statement.
"At the initiative of the Armenian side, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with the prime minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. They discussed the latest developments around Nagorno-Karabakh," the Kremlin said.
"Putin noted with satisfaction that is was possible to overcome the hot phase of the conflict and welcomed the agreement, achieved with active involvement of Russian peacekeepers, on total cessation of hostilities and on holding negotiations between representatives of Baku and Stepanakert on September 21," the Kremlin said, adding that "these talks will take place with mediation by the Russian peacekeeping contingent."
According to the Kremlin report, "Regardless of dire conditions, the peacekeepers keep flawlessly accomplishing their assigned tasks and providing comprehensive assistance to civilians and refugees, including the by military medics."
Putin expressed hope that the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh will gradually stabilize, the Kremlin said, "The hope was expressed that in the future the situation will develop in the direction of de-escalation and stabilization."
Nagorno-Karabakh Developments
On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, said there were no Armenian forces in Karabakh, calling what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Residents of the Armenian capital took to the streets to protest outside the Armenian government building, blaming the country’s leadership and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the situation.
The command for the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh said that civilians were being evacuated and urged the parties to the conflict to cease fire immediately.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on the conflicting sides to prevent civilian casualties, stop the bloodshed, and go back to honoring the agreements between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.