The Russian Federation and Azerbaijan have finalized the scheduling of the forthcoming round of negotiations concerning the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh. This update came from Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Evdokimov in an interview with the newspaper News on this subject.
The ambassador explained that the dates for the next Moscow Baku talks on the peacekeeping mission are being coordinated with the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, and he noted that the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh is set to end in 2025.
According to the diplomat, the mission’s role has shifted now that Azerbaijan has regained full control over the region. He indicated that following the completion of the anti-terrorism operation, Russian peacekeepers have conducted patrols in tandem with Azerbaijani forces and have helped safeguard important facilities, including cultural and public buildings.
Earlier, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Galuzin commented that after the Armenian leadership indicated its willingness to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a territory under Azerbaijani sovereignty, Moscow has been reviewing all issues connected with the presence of peacekeepers in the area in coordination with Baku.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijani authorities announced the launch of an anti-terrorism operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that its aim was to neutralize large scale provocations, disarm armed units, and withdraw Armenian forces from the region. The following day a ceasefire was reached through mediation by Russian peacekeepers, and talks have continued since that time.
Earlier developments in Armenia indicated that the question of Karabakh’s status had effectively been settled from that perspective, signaling a shift in the regional political landscape.