YEREVAN, October 29. /TASS/. Armenia has an interest in prolongation of the Russian peacekeeping mission until the Nagorno-Karabakh status is finally settled, the Armenian Security Council told TASS on Friday.
"Regrettably, now the situation is not stable enough in terms of security. Recently, we witnessed ceasefire violations, which resulted in the death of an Armenian civilian, and we also have wounded people. Consequently, the factor of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh will be crucial and paramount until the solution to Nagorno-Karabakh status is found," the Armenian Security Council noted.
The Security Council pointed out that "the Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh is an important factor safeguarding security of Armenians, who are the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as a guarantor of security of infrastructure, which is being created, and of unimpeded and continuous movement of people and cargoes."
"Under the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the term of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s deployment is automatically extended for another five years unless one of the parties takes other steps six months prior to the end of the term. Armenia plans to maintain the situation that has been shaped in accordance with this provision of the trilateral statement until the Nagorno-Karabakh status is settled," the Security Council added.
Yerevan is in talks with Moscow on entire range of Karabakh issue
In addition, the Armenian Security Council said that Yerevan was holding talks with Russia on the entire range of issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh, including the prolongation of peacekeepers’ mission there.
"Armenia is constantly in talks on a whole range of issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh with its strategic ally - Russia," the Security Council said when asked if negotiations were being held with Moscow and Baku about the prolongation of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian peacekeepers may stay in Karabakh longer than stipulated timeframe
On Thursday, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said that the Russian peacekeepers could stay in Nagorno-Karabakh for more than five years, as stipulated by the trilateral statement of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders of November 9, 2020. He added that Armenia was discussing the issue with Russian counterparts at top-level and high-level talks.
According to Grigoryan, "those infrastructures that are being created give reason to assume that the Russian peacekeeping forces will stay longer than stipulated."
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its impact
The highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been disputed by Baku and Yerevan since February 1988 when the region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of 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 Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. According to the statement, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and then the Armenian forces would turn over control of certain districts to Azerbaijan. In addition, Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and to the Lachin corridor, which links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.