Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian (L) attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, April 19, 2022. (Sputnik via Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed the developments in Karabakh and security issues on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Kremlin last week called for restraint from both sides after Azerbaijan said its forces had foiled an Armenian attack near Karabakh, formerly referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan announced that it has regained control of several strategic locations in the Karabakh region, in a new escalation after Armenia attacked and killed an Azerbaijani soldier.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly pointed to Armenia's failure to meet the provisions of the Nov. 10, 2020 agreement signed by the two nations plus Russia, drawing particular attention to how Armenian armed groups have not yet pulled out of Azerbaijani territories in Karabakh, said a ministry statement.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
In January 2021, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group in Karabakh.
After the conflict ended, Azerbaijan launched a massive reconstruction initiative in the liberated Karabakh region.
In July, Azerbaijan began the process of returning its people to land recaptured from Armenian forces in what Baku calls "The Great Return." The oil-rich country has vowed to repopulate the recaptured lands.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had for years promised to recapture lands lost in the 1990s and the first returns marked a symbolic moment for Azerbaijan.