Author: Sonya Jalatian

Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire opens region for Anglo Asian to possibly return to projects

Sonya Jalatian
Mining Weekly
Jan 21 2021

21st January 2021

By: Donna Slater
Creamer Media Staff Writer and Photographer

im-listed Central Asia gold, copper and silver producer Anglo Asian Mining welcomes the agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia which has ended the military conflict over the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, subsequently opening up the region for the miner to restore its three contract areas in formerly occupied territories and Nagorno Karabakh.

Nagorno Karabakh is a mountainous enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan and is bordered by seven districts of Azerbaijan which were occupied by Armenia in 1994 (the occupied territories).

Anglo Asia’s projects in the region include Soutely, in the Kalbajar district of the formerly occupied territories; Kyzlbulag, in Nagorno Karabakh; and Vejnaly, in the Zangilan district of the formerly occupied territories.

Soutely, which is the location of the Zod gold and silver mine, is the largest in the Caucasus region and reportedly produced about 120 000 oz/y of gold prior to the conflict.

Kyzlbulag is the location of the Kashan deposit hosting a copper and molybdenum mine. Vejnaly has been a host to mining operations, but the current situation is unknown.

The two contract areas in the formerly occupied territories are fully under the control of the government of Azerbaijan, with Russian peacekeepers present at Anglo Asian's Nagorno Karabakh contract area.

Going forward, the company will fully evaluate the potential of the three restored contract areas when permission to access is received from the government of Azerbaijan.

Anglo Asian president and CEO Reza Vaziri says it is a tragedy that this long-standing territorial dispute has resulted in a humanitarian crisis and significant loss of life.

“Anglo Asian Mining very warmly welcomes the recent ceasefire agreement which ended the hostilities. The conflict has resulted in extensive damage across the region which will require substantial investment to repair and rebuild.”

The production sharing agreement in respect of the three restored contract areas will be reset to year zero upon notification of access to the areas.

Meanwhile, Anglo Asian notes that mineral exploitation and mining have been carried out illegally during the Armenian occupation at all three contract areas, but adds that considerable exploration potential still exists both near the existing mines and on known geological trends in the restored contract areas.

The company will evaluate its newly restored contract areas as soon as it is able to access them.

Anglo Asia reports that, as part of the proposed ceasefire agreement, Armenia will grant territory in its Syunik region to Azerbaijan to enable construction of direct road and rail links between the exclave of Nakhchivan and the rest of Azerbaijan. The proposed transport corridor will greatly improve access to Anglo Asian’s Ordubad contract area.

“Anglo Asian Mining will work with the government of Azerbaijan, pursuant to its contractual rights, in the three restored contract areas within the Zangilan and Kalbajar districts, as well as in Nagorno Karabakh,” Vaziri says. 

Edited by: Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Trilateral talks between Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan lasted nearly 4 hours

Sonya Jalatian
TASS, Russia

Jan 11 2021
 
 
 
It was reported earlier that Putin would hold bilateral talks with his Azerbaijani and Armenian colleagues
 
  
MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan concluded in Moscow. The trilateral meeting in the Kremlin lasted nearly four hours.
 
It was reported earlier that Putin would also hold bilateral talks with his Azerbaijani and Armenian colleagues.
 
The trilateral talks were held behind closed doors, with the exception of Putin’s statement at the start. The Russian leader noted that Moscow values partner and good-neighborly relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia, thanking his colleagues for the positive assessment of Russia’s efforts as a mediator of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire. Putin stated that the agreements reached in November 2020 are implemented consistently, creating the necessary preconditions for long-term and full-fledged Nagorno-Karabakh regulation on a just basis in the interest of both Azerbaijani and Armenian nations.
 
Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them.
 
On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Besides, Baku and Yerevan must exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed.
 

Asbarez: Democracy Is the Bedrock of This Country

Sonya Jalatian

January 13,  2020



Incited rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

The President of the United States was impeached for a second time—an unprecedented reality in U.S. history. The House of Representatives voted on charges of “incitement and insurrection” after last week’s deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol.

The riot, the violent break-in, the destruction and the death that took place last Wednesday was an affront to American democracy. It was also a culmination of four years of reckless disregard for democratic norms and principles.

We, as Americans, had a front row seat and watched as the President one-by-one defamed and dismantled democratic institutions beginning with the press and ending with his attempts to rob the American people of their votes, laying bare the cracks in our democracy, which often times gave way to partisan politics that was driven by the rabid desire of some elected officials to hold on to their seats—and levers—of power.

The president and his supporters brushed off the serious charges levied against him when he was impeached by Congress the first time—the withholding of Congressionally-mandated funding to a foreign government in return for information he could use against his political opponents.

The fervent support he received from his allies then and throughout his presidency empowered him to push the envelope further and farther, with his last act being the belligerent lies he spread about the results of last November’s elections, which he lost by all—and many—counts.

His disdain for the rule of law and the constitution pivoted him to embrace despotic leaders, such as his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who governs his country without any consideration for human rights and democratic values.

One glaring example of the U.S. administration’s disregard for democracy was the slow and anemic reaction to the beating endured by American protesters by Erdogan’s bodyguards, who were from Turkey, during a peaceful protest in 2017. The fact that a foreign leader got away with inciting and ordering violence against Americans in their own country where they were exercising their constitutionally-guaranteed democratic freedoms of _expression_ and assembly demonstrated the president’s lack of understanding of democratic norms and showed how far he was willing to go to appease a despot, whom he sought to emulate.

The attack on and erosion of democracy has been on the rise in recent years around the world where leaders are using violence and subversion to quash the people’s right to vote and self-determination. Last year, we saw Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus crush his opponents and force himself back into power. Unfortunately, a similar scenario is playing out in Armenia, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was elected in what can be deemed as the first democratic election, is relying on and deploying the country’s security apparatus to silence opponents in order to maintain his grip on power, despite leading Armenia to a crushing defeat during the Karabakh war this fall.

American democracy has its flaws. What our founders put on paper was an ideal whose implementation has become murky as financial, economic and self interests have rocked the system, which has spurned loopholes for the powerful to advance. Despite this, American democracy, as practiced here in the U.S., remains a true beacon for the world.

This is why organizations such as the Armenian National Committee of America have been expending resources to educate and empower our community to vote and make our voices heard in the halls of power in America, always underscoring that one’s vote is one’s voice, and no one has the right to silence it. That simple concept has helped catapult issues of importance to the Armenian community on the agendas of city halls, state houses and Congress. Our community’s advocacy and engagement has also helped us achieve successes in advancing justice and our national aspirations.

When the president lost the election in November, he used lies, threats and intimidation to advance a fictional—and false—narrative, egging on his supporters to adopt and use the same vile tactics that culminated in the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol.

This past week I spoke to some staffers who work for some of our allies and advocates in Congress. They recounted in horror what they witnessed as the attack on Congress unfolded and spoke of the dangers if decisive action is not taken to punish those who organized and incited the violence against America’s symbol of democracy.

Despite witnessing and living through last Wednesday’s events, some are still wavering in their condemnation and the need to preserve, protect and advance democracy, setting a dangerous precedent for future generations of Americans.

Democracy is the bedrock of this country. Whoever—regardless of the position they hold—attempts to breach that must be held accountable, in order to strengthen those principles and ensure that no one can shake the foundations of the country.

Pashinyan: The Nagorno-Karabakh status remains unresolved

Sonya Jalatian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 11 2021
 
 
The issue concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh status remains unresolved, PM Nikol Pashinyan stated on Monday  in Moscow after trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
 
"Unfortunately, this conflict remains unresolved. Of course, we were able to reach a ceasefire regime, yet there are many issues to be addressed. One of those issues is the status of Nagorno-Karabakh," said Pashinyan, adding Armenia is ready to continue the talks under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.
 
Pashinyan also noted that the parties to the talk were unable to find a solution on the exchange of war prisoners. "This is a sensitive topic, and we must address it urgently," said the PM.
 
Azerbaijani president Ilham ALiyev, meanwhile, assessed the meeting efficient and fruitful in the context of the future development of the region. He expressed hope that neighboring states will be actively engaged in developing transport infrastructure in the South Caucasus
 

Artsakh intelligence agency warns citizens on Azerbaijani disinformation attempts

Sonya Jalatian

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 16:42, 15 December, 2020

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh warned citizens that the Azerbaijani intelligence agencies are again attempting to spread disinformation and that the photo of a purported document generated online under the headline “On Evacuating the residents of Artsakh” is a fake document spread by Azerbaijan.

“The Azerbaijani special services are again actively carrying out attempts to spread disinformation because the document’s content is fake. We urge our citizens to refrain from circulating such information online and from discussing military topics with strangers and follow only official news,” the Artsakh National Security Service said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

La sauvegarde du patrimoine de l’Arménie doit être une priorité

Sonya Jalatian
La Libre, Belgique
16 dec 2020

Opinions

Contribution externe

Publié le 16-12-20 à 11h39 – Mis à jour le 16-12-20 à 11h39

Lorsque nous sommes entrés en pleine guerre à Stepanakert, capitale du Haut-Karabakh, un mouchoir de terre dans le Caucase du Sud disputé entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan, les signes de la bataille qui faisait rage étaient partout. Nous avons visité les maisons détruites de civils, des écoles bombardées et nous avons dû passer les nuits dans des abris antiaériens pour éviter les bombardements nocturnes des redoutables drones azerbaïdjanais.

Ces mêmes drones que nous avons retrouvés au front, en courant d’une tranchée à l’autre tout en gardant la tête baissée, nous devions respecter une distance de quelques mètres les uns des autres, non pas pour se plier à certaines règles imposées par le Covid-19, mais pour éviter de devenir la cible privilégiée des Bayraktar, ces drones de fabrication turque qui décimaient l’armée arménienne depuis le début du conflit.

Et le bourdonnement de ces drones était la seule chose plus terrifiante que le tonnerre de l’artillerie azerbaïdjanaise lui-même qui s’approchait de nos positions. D’ailleurs, même dans les véhicules qui nous emmenaient d’une ligne de front à l’autre, nous devions tendre l’oreille, la fenêtre toujours ouverte, afin d’être prêts à nous catapulter hors de la voiture au premier bourdonnement du drone ou de la sirène qui sonnait fatalement pour avertir toute la population d’un éventuel bombardement qui arrivait.

La guerre, qui a de nouveau éclaté le 27 septembre, a duré six semaines et a fait environ 5 000 morts et 8 000 blessés. Mais le conflit entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan a des racines beaucoup plus lointaines et se poursuit depuis le début des années 1990, lorsque, à la suite de la dissolution de l’Union soviétique, les deux nouvelles républiques indépendantes se sont affrontées pour le contrôle d’un territoire qu’elles considèrent toutes deux comme le berceau de leur civilisation et qui, bien qu’habité principalement par des Arméniens, se trouvait de jure à l’intérieur des frontières de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Mais la fin de la guerre ne signifie pas le début de la paix. L’accord de paix voulu par Moscou et signé dans la nuit du 9 au 10 novembre est une véritable capitulation pour l’Arménie. Les Arméniens vont maintenant devoir laisser une grande partie de l’Artsakh, comme ils appellent le Haut-Karabakh, la région qui, au IVe siècle, est devenue le premier royaume chrétien de l’histoire. Ils devront surtout quitter Chouchi, une ville symbolique surnommée la Jérusalem arménienne, dont la cathédrale a été bombardée par les Azéris durant les premiers jours du conflit. Les soldats arméniens n’ont rien pu faire contre l’armée azerbaïdjanaise, les milliers de miliciens djihadistes soutenus par la Turquie et le soutien politique et militaire d’Ankara, le meilleur allié de Bakou. C’est d’ailleurs la Turquie qui a remporté une grande victoire géopolitique depuis l’accord de paix. En effet, celui-ci contient une clause, peu discutée par les médias, qui prévoit l’établissement d’un couloir entre l’Azerbaïdjan et l’enclave azerbaïdjanaise du Nakhitchevan à la frontière avec la Turquie, par lequel Erdogan obtient l’accès à la mer Caspienne et à ses ressources énergétiques en passant uniquement par l’Azerbaïdjan, son plus fidèle allié.

En ce moment même, les Arméniens du Haut-Karabakh, les femmes, les personnes âgées, les enfants font la queue dans leurs voitures. Ils s’enfuient en emportant avec eux avec tout ce qu’ils peuvent. Certains emportent même les cercueils de leurs proches, rapidement ficelés sur les toits de leur voiture. Ils ont perdu la guerre et ne veulent perdre rien d’autre. Les maisons sont brûlées par leurs propriétaires qui doivent les laisser derrière eux pour ne pas les offrir à l’ennemi.

Mais quitter ces terres signifie aussi abandonner les églises, les monastères, les basiliques chrétiennes. Cela signifie abandonner des lieux sacrés et symboliques tels que la cathédrale de Chouchi, symbole de l’Église apostolique arménienne, le monastère de Dadivank, dont la chapelle du Ier siècle a été construite par les pères du christianisme venus de Syrie. Cela signifie laisser derrière soi les vestiges de la ville forteresse de Tigranakert érigée au Ier siècle avant J.-C. pour défendre les frontières orientales ou le sanctuaire de Martuni d’où les moines du Ve siècle ont commencé à répandre l’alphabet arménien.

Mais aujourd’hui, ce patrimoine culturel est en danger. Comme le soulignent les historiens et les universitaires, après la conquête de la région du Nakhitchevan par l’Azerbaïdjan, une région démographiquement très peuplée, 89 églises et 10 000 croix de pierre, les fameuses khachkar, ont été détruites. Il ne reste aucune trace d’une présence arménienne millénaire dans cette région. Tout cela risque de se répéter à nouveau sur un territoire encore plus vaste. Malgré le déploiement des forces de maintien de la paix russes, il existe un risque réel que la présence physique et culturelle millénaire du Haut-Karabakh soit anéantie à jamais comme elle l’a été en Turquie après le génocide de 1915.

L’effacement de la mémoire historique est – malheureusement – courant chez les forces gagnantes de la guerre. La sauvegarde du patrimoine artistique, culturel et religieux de l’Arménie doit être une priorité pour tous. Il serait souhaitable que, pour pallier l’absence de tout signe de solidarité européenne avec l’Arménie, ce rôle soit repris par l’Union européenne qui, en coopération avec l’Unesco, pourrait mettre en place une mission de suivi de la situation au Haut-Karabakh et éviter ainsi un redoutable "génocide culturel".



RFE/RL Armenian Report – 12/12/2020

Sonya Jalatian 
                                        Saturday, 

Armenia Reports Renewed Fighting In Karabakh


NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- A general view shows Hadrut town, which recently came under 
the control of Azerbaijani troops, November 25, 2020

Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Saturday of resuming “offensive operations” in 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s southwest one month after a Russian-brokered ceasefire that 
stopped the Armenian-Azerbaijani war.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani army is attacking Karabakh 
Armenian positions near two remote villages in Karabakh’s southern Hadrut 
district that was mostly occupied by it during the six-week war.

In a short statement, the ministry said Karabakh’s Armenia-backed army is 
“taking adequate measures” in response. It gave no further details.

A spokeswoman for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Russian 
peacekeeping forces deployed in Karabakh must react to the “Azerbaijani attack.”

“The leadership of the peacekeepers has been fully informed about the events 
unfolding there since the early morning,” Mane Gevorgian wrote on Facebook.

The Karabakh Defense Army said earlier in the day that three of its soldiers 
were wounded while thwarting an Azerbaijani attempt to attack one of its 
frontline positions late on Friday. It denied Azerbaijani media reports saying 
that Armenian forces resorted to an “armed provocation” in Hadrut that left one 
Azerbaijani soldier wounded.

A senior Karabakh official, Davit Babayan, likewise claimed that Azerbaijani 
forces tried to advance at a southern section of the Karabakh “line of contact” 
but were repelled.

According to the Sputnik news agency, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed 
that there was “one instance of violation of the ceasefire regime in the Hadrut 
district” on Friday. But it did not comment on fresh hostilities reported in the 
mountainous area on Saturday.

Azerbaijan did not immediately react to what were the most serious truce 
violations reported in the Karabakh conflict zone since the November 9 ceasefire 
agreement.

In what may have been a related development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei 
Lavrov again spoke with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov by phone on 
Saturday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said they discussed the implementation of 
the ceasefire agreement but did not elaborate.

The nearly 2,000 Russian troops were deployed in and around Karabakh under the 
terms of that accord. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday morning 
that the peacekeeping forces have fortified their observation posts with 
protective and surveillance equipment.



Skirmish Reported In Karabakh


NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- An ethnic Armenian soldier walks with Nagorno-Karabakh's 
flag towards a checkpoint near village of Charektar at a new border with 
Kalbacar district turned over to Azerbaijan, November 25, 2020.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenia-backed army said on Saturday that three of its 
soldiers were wounded while thwarting an Azerbaijani attempt to attack one of 
its frontline positions late on Friday.

“Their life is not at risk. An investigation is underway to clarify details of 
the incident,” the Defense Army said in a statement.

The statement denied Azerbaijani media reports saying that Armenian forces 
resorted to an “armed provocation” in Karabakh’s southern Hadrut district that 
left one Azerbaijani soldier wounded.

A senior Karabakh official, Davit Babayan, likewise claimed that Azerbaijani 
forces tried to advance at a southern section of the Karabakh “line of contact” 
but were repelled.

“These actions are directed at both Karabakh and Russia,” Babayan told the 
Armenpress news agency. “It is possible that there will be more such provocative 
actions in the future. But I think the response will be tough, including from 
[Russian] peacekeepers.”

The peacekeepers did not immediately comment on what was the most serious 
ceasefire violation reported in the Karabakh conflict zone since a 
Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war on 
November 10.

The nearly 2,000 Russian troops were deployed in and around Karabakh under the 
terms of that agreement. The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier on 
Saturday that the peacekeeping forces have fortified their observation posts 
with protective and surveillance equipment.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Flare up in Karabakh – what Baku and Yerevan are saying

Sonya Jalatian
JAM News
Dec 13 2020

    JAMnews

Combat has resumed in Karabakh around two villages. There are dead and wounded, and both sides point the figure at the other for the first flare up of violence since the November 10 truce.

Azerbaijan announced an ‘anti-terrorist operation’ against Armenian militants, while Armenia said an attack had been launched by the Azerbaijani military on civilians.

The State Security Service and the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan made a joint statement on December 13, which refers to a ‘counter-terrorist operation’ of the Azerbaijani special services on the territory of the Khojavend region in Karabakh.

“After the declaration of the armistice in the north-western part of the Gadrut settlement of the Khojavend region of Azerbaijan, some Armenian armed formations remained in the forest area.

Armenian media said they got lost in the forest. The Armenian side appealed to the command of the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation for their withdrawal from the territory, and the Azerbaijani side provided all the conditions for this.

In difficult weather conditions, the servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent arrived at the scene and, using loudspeakers, addressed the Armenian armed formations in the forest. […]

But [the militants] did not leave the territory and instead created combat positions there […] and for several days carried out sabotage against civilians and military personnel.

Thus, as a result of a surprise attack on November 26 on servicemen of the Ministry of Defense in the liberated from occupation village of Sur, Khojavend region, three Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and two wounded.

On December 8, during the installation of communication equipment near the village of Hadrut, another serviceman was killed and an employee of Azercell was seriously injured.

Taking this into account, Azerbaijan was forced to conduct an anti-terrorist operation in this territory.”

  • Op-ed: What’s next in Armenia – loss of sovereignty or global integration?

The Armenian Foreign Ministry stated on December 13 that “Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire in the area of the Khin Taglar and Khtsaberd settlements of the Hadrut region, taking advantage of the fact that peacekeeping forces were not deployed in this part of the Artsakh Republic”.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, this incident took place on December 11, six servicemen of the Karabakh Defense Army were wounded.

“Azerbaijani forces continued their provocative actions on December 13 in the direction of the settlements of Mets Shen and Khin Shen [Azerbaijani names Boyuk Galadyaryasi and Kehnia Galadyaryasi – JAMnews] […] These actions aim to devalue the presence of the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation in the conflict zone.

The Azerbaijani side carried out this provocation during the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region. It is a challenge against [their] efforts. […]

This style of action once again demonstrates the Turkish-Azerbaijani expansionist policy, which continues to undermine regional security and stability and is fraught with spread to neighboring regions.

In the light of such actions of official Baku […], the de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh and the return of the Armenians of Artsakh to their places of residence become even more obligatory.”

The Armenian Foreign Ministry called on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries to react to the actions of the Azerbaijani side.

Protesters rallying against Pashinyan block streets in Yerevan

Sonya Jalatian

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 13:51, 8 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Protesters calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are blocking streets in different parts of Yerevan. Police officers are attempting to restore traffic.

Protesters have blocked the Myasnikyan Avenue with a heavy truck.

ARF official Gegham Manukyan, who was demonstrating with the protesters on Mashtots Avenue, was detained by police.

Demonstrations are ongoing in many parts of the city.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

FM: Armenia hopes Azerbaijan will not disrupt exchange of POWs in line with ‘all for all’ principle

Sonya Jalatian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 7 2020

Armenia is ready to exchange prisoners of war (POWs) with Azerbaijan according to the "all for all" principle and hopes for a similar position in Baku, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov after the talks in Moscow on Monday.

Thankful for the warm reception and the constructive dialogue, Ayvazian highlighted the fact that this was his first visit to Moscow as Armenia’s foreign minister.

"I am convinced that today's talks will be a new impetus for the further strengthening and development of our allied relations," the minister said.

Ayvazian said the meeting with Lavrov, naturally, focused on the discussion of the regional situation in recent months in light of the November 9 statement.

"Russia played a key role in stopping the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted for more than six weeks,” the FM said.

In Ayvazian’s words, the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh creates conditions for restoration of peace and stability in the region and guarantees for prevention of provocations by Azerbaijan, its regional sponsor Turkey and terrorist groups recruited by them.

"In the context of humanitarian issues, the immediate and unconditional exchange of prisoners of war and captives, as well as the return of remains is a key priority. We expressed our readiness to conduct an exchange in line with the “all for all” principle and expect that Azerbaijan will not make any attempts to disrupt the process,” he underlined.

Ara Ayvazian also called attention to the inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijani captivity.

"Our POWs, civilians who did not manage to flee their homes, were brutally tortured and beheaded. The manifestations of vandalism and sacrilege against the Armenian monuments, religious sites, churches and temples of Artsakh are also widespread,” the minister stated.

He noted that Turkey, as the main instigator and inspirer of the Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Karabakh, continues to pursue a policy that is detrimental to the region.

"Turkey must withdraw its armed personnel and its affiliated terrorist groups from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and the South Caucasus in general. There are no clear signs of the withdrawal of foreign terrorist fighters from the conflict zone yet. On the contrary, there is reliable information on Azerbaijan's plans to expand the geography of deployment of militants, terrorists and mercenaries and to resettle them to the occupied territories of Artsakh. During today's talks, it was once again outlined for the restoration of all rights of the 150,000 population of Artsakh," Ayvazian said.