Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Kremlin said.

The leaders discussed in detail the Nagorno-Karabakh developments. Vladimir Putin told Angela Merkel about Russia’s mediation efforts with a view towards a cessation of hostilities and the activities of the Russian peacekeepers deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor at the requests of Baku and Yerevan. It was emphasised that the consistent implementation of the agreements recorded in the November 9 statement by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia facilitated the general stabilisation of the situation in the region.

The two leaders underscored the importance of resolving the urgent problems of the population that was affected by the armed clashes. In this context, they noted the need to involve specialised international structures in the work conducted by the Russia-established Humanitarian Response Centre.

Both leaders expressed their willingness to further cooperate within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.