MOSCOW, September 22 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “on the sidelines” of the UN General Assembly, conveyed an apology to Moscow for the situation with the death of Russian peacekeepers, wrote the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova in her telegram channel.
“Meeting of Sergei Lavrov with the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in The UN began with official Baku’s apology for the death of Russian peacekeepers,” Zakharova said.
At the end of September 2020, fighting resumed in Karabakh, continuing a long-term conflict. On the night of November 10, Azerbaijan and Armenia, through the mediation of Russia, agreed to cease fire, remaining in occupied positions, and exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. In addition, the Kelbajar and Lachin regions, as well as part of the Aghdam region, which were previously under the control of the unrecognized NKR and were not occupied by the Azerbaijani army during the hostilities, crossed over to Baku. Russian peacekeepers are stationed in the region, including the Lachin corridor.
Last year, Yerevan and Baku, through the mediation of Russia, the United States and the European Union, began discussing a future peace treaty. At the end of May this year, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan is ready to recognize the sovereignty of Azerbaijan within Soviet borders, that is, together with Karabakh. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin drew attention to the fact that the Armenian leadership itself recognized the sovereignty of Azerbaijan over Karabakh. As Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev said, Azerbaijan and Armenia may sign a peace treaty before the end of the year if Yerevan does not change its position.
On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Karabakh, calling it “anti-terrorist measures of a local nature.” Yerevan characterized these actions as aggression, saying that there are no Armenian units in Karabakh. A day later, through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, an agreement on a ceasefire was reached; among the conditions of the truce, in particular, the disarmament of Armenian forces and the withdrawal of heavy equipment from Karabakh were outlined. On September 21, in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh, 100 kilometers northeast of Stepanakert, a meeting of representatives of Karabakh Armenians with the Azerbaijani delegation was held, dedicated to the integration of the region into the republic.