MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Azerbaijan is capable of ensuring security in Karabakh on its own, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov told TASS.

"As for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, it’s now part of Azerbaijan and the country is capable of ensuring security on its own. Clearly, the issue is not being resolved unilaterally. I believe that stability in the region depends on the prospects for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he pointed out, commenting on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh.

Peacekeepers’ withdrawal

Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev said on April 17 that an early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan had begun based on a decision made jointly by the top leadership of the two countries. The defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Russia are taking the necessary measures to implement the decision, he noted.

A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh based on the statement that the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia had signed on November 9, 2020. The mission comprised 1,960 troops armed with light weapons, as well as 90 armored personnel carriers and 380 motor and special vehicles. The Russian peacekeeping mission was based on a five-year mandate, which could be automatically extended for another five years, provided none of the parties announced plans to terminate the provision six months before the mandate’s expiration.