MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Azerbaijan appreciates Russian peacekeepers’ activity aimed at restoring stability in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said during an interview with the National Defense Russian magazine for its September issue.

"In my opinion, today we have a new phase in our relations with Russia since our cooperation is greater, contacts are more intensive, regarding the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Naturally, this issue is a regular item on the agenda, and I must say that everything is functioning normally, without any turbulence. On the contrary, we have a mutual understanding and full interaction. We highly appreciate Russian peacekeepers’ efforts aimed at stabilizing the situation. It is an important factor in ensuring stability," Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader also stressed that he looked forward to reconciliation between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, emphasizing the major role of Russia. "Of course, we hope that there will be a movement towards a reconciliation process between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. We are neighbors and we cannot deny it, that is why we should accept this reality. Of course, we see that Russia plays a very important positive role in this process," he underlined.

Intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia flared up on September 27, 2020, in Nagorno-Karabakh. 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 the conflict zone, which facilitated a complete cessation of hostilities. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, while several regions came under Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor.