MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The work of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh is of the utmost importance amid the continued tensions in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing Thursday.

"Russian peacekeepers continue to play an important stabilizing role in Nagorno-Karabakh; their main function is to uphold the ceasefire regime," she said. "Considering the persisting tense situation in the region, their work is as important as ever."

Commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that Russian peacekeepers must leave Nagorno-Karabakh by 2025, Zakharova noted that Ankara is not a party to the November 9, 2020, joint statement from the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The diplomat pointed out that the Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area based specifically on this document, and it was this document that outlined the terms of the contingent’s stay in the region and the parameters for its potential five-year extension.

"The upholding of peace in the South Caucasus meets the interests of both Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as regional [powers], including Turkey. In this regard, we note the important cooperation with our Turkish partners within the joint Russian-Turkish Center in the Aghdam District," the diplomat added.

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