TASS Press review: Nagorno-Karabakh map redrawn

TASS, Russia
Dec 30 2020
Top stories in the Russian press on Wednesday, December 30
© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

This outgoing year has shown that the post-Soviet space remains a volcano, which is belching out wars, revolutions and other shocks even 30 years after the breakup of the USSR. The key event for the post-Soviet states in 2020 was the second war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted for 44 days. Unlike the first war in the early 1990s, which resulted in Azerbaijan’s defeat, this time Baku clinched victory, regaining control over a significant part of territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh and also a part of this mountainous region. A peace deal between Yerevan and Baku was reached due to Russia’s mediation. Moscow will not only monitor the compliance with the ceasefire but will also become a guarantor of a future long-term settlement to the Karabakh conflict, Kommersant writes.

The key point of the trilateral deal was an agreement to deploy Russian peacekeepers to the conflict zone in order to prevent the resumption of a military confrontation and create conditions for relaunching the diplomatic process, which has been stalled for a quarter of a century.

The second Karabakh war, which broke out on September 27, was predetermined by many factors. Among those, which ensured Azerbaijan’s victory, was its superiority in armaments, first of all, its total air domination thanks to unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Israel and Turkey. Experts say Armenia was caught off-guard by advanced "kamikaze drones." Among other factors for Azerbaijan’s victory was the assistance of Turkish military advisers, and the direct participation of Turkey’s military on the battlefield, which included pilots and gunners, as well as mercenaries from the Middle East (although Azerbaijan strongly denies this).

When touching on the reasons for Armenia’s defeat, experts blame the short-sighted policy of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who allowed the war to break out even though the country was not ready for it, as well as strategic and tactical errors by Armenia’s military command. Azerbaijan’s triumph debased Pashinyan’s calls to grant Nagorno-Karabakh a special status. A huge majority of Armenians believe that the prime minister is to blame for the shameful defeat and the opposition is demanding his resignation. Even if the current wave of protests fails to topple the premier and his government, Pashinyan’s prospects in the next or early elections seem to be rather vague, according to the newspaper.

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Turkish Press: Turkey urges Armenia not to breach ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh

Hurriyet Turkey
Dec 31 2020

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged Armenia not to attempt to violate the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh in an address to Turkish troops deployed in Azerbaijan to jointly monitor the implementation of a deal between Baku and Yerevan.

“I hope the center to monitor the ceasefire will go operational as soon as possible. I advise the Armenian forces to return from the mistake of attempting to violate the ceasefire as soon as possible,” Erdoğan said, addressing the Turkish troops in Baku on Dec. 31 via Defense Minister Hulusi Akar’s mobile phone.

Akar paid a snap visit to Azerbaijan on the last day of the year to visit the Turkish troops and hold talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Zakir Hasanov.

Erdoğan highlighted the historic victory of the Azerbaijani troops in liberating the occupied territories from Armenia in 44-day long clashes, reiterating that Turkey and Azerbaijan are “two states, one nation.”

“Your presence there is a sign of honor indicating the level of the relationship between our countries. As Turkey, we are supporting Azerbaijan’s struggle in the field and in all international platforms,” he said.

‘We are ready to monitor truce’

For his part, Akar underlined that the brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan is unbreakable and that everybody should understand it and not make wrong calculations.

Recalling that the ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan stipulates the formation of a joint center by the Turkish and Russian troops to monitor the truce on the field, Akar said, “Our friends are ready to fulfill this mission.”

The Turkish and Azerbaijani forces continue to cooperate on clearing mines and improvised explosive devices in the areas abandoned by the Armenian army, the minister stressed.

“We only fight against the terrorists or the soldiers. We are not like the ones carrying out massacres in Hocalı or launching missiles to the cities of Azerbaijan,” he said, adding, “Our activities will get intensified once the Joint Center begins to work. We will fulfill our mission to defend the rights of our Azerbaijani brothers by the joint work of Turkish-Russian troops.”

Works are continuing to build the Joint Center in Aghdam province of Azerbaijan where the Turkish and Russian forces will monitor and inspect the implementation of the ceasefire. Turkey has already dispatched the first batch of troops to Azerbaijan.


Turkish Generals Led War on Artsakh: This was a Turkish, not Azeri, Victory

December 29,  2020



Harut Sassounian

BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Exiled Turkish journalist Cevheri Guven disclosed in a video report the names and activities of three Turkish Generals who had a decisive role in leading Azerbaijan’s war on Artsakh, starting on Sept. 27 2020. It is already known that modern drones and missiles purchased by Azerbaijan from Israel, Turkey and Russia had a devastating effect on Armenia and Artsakh. It is also known that 200 Turkish military advisors and several thousand Syrian mercenaries participated in the war on behalf of Azerbaijan. However, this is the first time that a detailed report is made public about the presence of these Turkish Generals in Azerbaijan during the war.

One of the Turkish military leaders is Lieutenant General Sheref Ongay. The second is Major General Bahtiyar Ersay, and the third is Major General Goksel Kahya. The presence of these Turkish Generals in Baku is linked to the dismissal before the Artsakh War of Colonel General Nejmeddin Sadikov, Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of General Staff who had been at his post for 27 years. He was accused of treason and cooperation with the Russian military intelligence, according to Russian and dissident Azeri sources. Sadikov was reportedly arrested after his dismissal which was denied by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense. However, he has not been seen in public since his dismissal. Sadikov was reportedly born in Derbent, Dagestan, and is of Lezgin origin. He has a poor knowledge of the Azerbaijani language. It is also alleged that his cousin is serving in the Russian Army in Gumri, Armenia.

Sadikov was educated in Russia. It is important to note that a large number of Azeri soldiers were sent to Turkey to get their military education. Sadikov did not allow those returning from Turkey to serve in critical military positions. He was opposed to Turkish dominance in the leadership of the Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces. As a result, Turkey asked for Sadikov’s dismissal after which those trained in Turkey were given leading posts.

Returning to the three Turkish Generals, Sheref Ongay is the Commander of the Turkish Third Army, deployed in Erzingan. He was in control of the Artsakh War. Ongay graduated from the military academy in Ankara in 1982 and served in various units of the ground forces. In 2014, he was appointed Commander of the 9th Army Corps. He was for a while the head of the infantry school in Tuzla.

Turkish forces stationed in Azerbaijan (Kommersant Photo)

The second Turkish military leader in Azerbaijan, Major General Bahtiyar Ersay, was earlier jailed for being involved in a scandal (Operation Sledgehammer). However, he was pardoned and released, possibly because he made a plea bargain with the authorities, disclosing the names of the other participants in the conspiracy. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Brigadier General becoming in charge of the 2nd Commando Brigade which fought with great brutality against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) in Eastern Turkey. He is now the Chief of Operations at the Command of Turkish Land Forces. He stayed in Baku throughout the Artsakh War and personally managed the operations. Before the start of the war, two satellite communication centers were built in Baku and at the military airport of Gabala to contact the soldiers on the ground and the headquarters in Turkey. Both centers were managed exclusively by the Turkish Army. The Azerbaijani military was ordered to obey all commands of the Turkish superiors and not argue with or contradict them. Ersay was in charge of the Syrian mercenaries who had earlier fought in Syria and Libya on behalf of Turkey. Furthermore, Ersay managed the highly technical military equipment provided by Turkey to Azerbaijan.

The third Turkish military man is Major General Goksel Kahya who was in Azerbaijan since July of this year. He is close to the Defense Minister of Turkey. Previously, he was Deputy Undersecretary in the Ministry of Defense. While taking part in the war in Libya on behalf of Turkey, he was captured by the opposition Libyan forces and then released. Kahya was in charge of the Turkish drones operating in Libya which gave him valuable experience in managing the drone war against Artsakh.

Since the end of the Artsakh War, the Azeri public has expressed its unhappiness that Russian peacekeepers are located on the territory of Karabakh. Some analysts have described the Russian presence in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia as a defeat for Turkey and the United States, and a victory for Russia, having located its forces “under the nose of NATO member Turkey.” As Russian online newspaper Vzglyad concluded: Artsakh War’s “plan was Turkish, the Generals were Turkish, and the drones were made in Turkey…. Baku can celebrate victory, but in terms of command and control, Turkish Generals can celebrate victory.”

Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Azerbaijani Army Oleg Guliyev, now living in Moscow, told the Vzglyad newspaper: “Azerbaijan must fully reclaim Karabakh. This is correct and fair. But we must reclaim Karabakh ourselves. If we reclaim it on a Turkish leash, then we will reclaim only Karabakh, and we will lose the rest of our country.”

Clarification
In my article last week, I referred to a letter purportedly written by Catholicos Khrimian Hyrig. After my article’s publication, I discovered that the letter was actually written more recently by historian Hayk Konjoryan imitating Khrimian’s writing style and nationalistic views. I regret any confusion that this may have caused.

Eight People Detained during Anti-Government Protest in Armenia

Tasnim News, Iran

Dec 28 2020

  • December, 28, 2020 – 15:30
  • Other Media news

  • – Other Media news –

    Protesters gathered outside the parliament building on Monday morning – when the legislature was due to convene for an extraordinary session – to demand that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan step down.

    "Eight people have been taken under police custody so far," a spokesperson for the Armenian police said. 

    Police have cordoned off the building and deployed extra officers to the area. Protesters threw eggs at lawmakers' cars, which sparked a clash with a politician from Armenia's My Step ruling party.

    As reported by a Sputnik correspondent in Yerevan, the demonstrators then marched to Republic Square, where there are several government buildings, to join another anti-Pashinyan protest. So far, the situation remains calm amid a heavy police presence.

    The Armenian opposition has been demanding Pashinyan's resignation since he signed a trilateral declaration with the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan on November 9 to cease armed hostilities in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The ceasefire entailed significant territorial concessions to Azerbaijan, which many Armenians are not happy about, especially as around 2,300 Armenian soldiers have reportedly died since the start of the conflict.

    Last Friday, Pashinyan proposed holding a snap election but this was rejected by the opposition, who demand he step down first as it's feared the PM has enough influence to call the vote.



    Not a single meter from the territory of Armenia will be ceded – Defense Minister

    Public Radio of Armenia
    Dec 17 2020
    Not a single meter from the territory of the Republic of Armenia will be ceded, Armenia’s Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan said at a meeting with the heads of a number of communities of Syunik province.

    The participants of the meeting presented to the Minister of Defense their concerns about the difficult situation created in the region due to the border adjustments. The community leaders reported that due to the border changes, a number of settlements will be targeted by the enemy, including the regional center Kapan.

    The Minister of Defense noted that the border is being adjusted in the presence of high-ranking officers of both sides, that not a single meter will be conceded from the territory of the Republic of Armenia. He stressed that these areas will be controlled by the Russian border guards, and a relevant agreement has already been reached. The Minister said it will create additional guarantees to strengthen the security system.

    Vagharshak Harutyunyan noted that a whole complex of measures is being taken to ensure the security of these zones, in particular, new military units are being formed, new infrastructure is being created, and this process will be continuous.


    RFE/RL Armenian Report – 12/15/2020

                                            Tuesday, 
    
    Anti-Government Protests Continue In Armenia
    
            • Sargis Harutyunyan
            • Astghik Bedevian
    
    Armenia -- Opposition supporters demonstrate in Yerevan to demand Prime Minister 
    Nikol Pashinian's resignation, .
    
    A coalition of more than a dozen Armenian opposition parties vowed to force 
    Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to resign soon as thousands of its supporters 
    continued to demonstrate in Yerevan on Tuesday.
    
    It sought to step up the pressure on Pashinian in the face of his continuing 
    refusal to hand over power to an interim government following the war in 
    Nagorno-Karabakh.
    
    “We have been growing in number for the last several days and our ranks are 
    joined by more and more decent people,” Artur Vanetsian, the leader of one of 
    the parties making up the Homeland Salvation Movement, told the crowd marching 
    through the city center.
    
    “Together we will very quickly drive Nikol, who is clinging to power, out of the 
    government building and he will be held accountable before the Armenian nation,” 
    said the former director of the country’s National Security Service.
    
    Ishkhan Saghatelian of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), 
    another key member of the opposition grouping, said the protests will continue 
    on a daily basis and end in success soon.
    
    “These demonstrations are multiplying our power and more people are joining us 
    every day,” he claimed. “As a result of these actions, we will set the stage for 
    Nikol’s departure in the coming days. The New Year without Nikol!”
    
    
    Armenia -- Opposition supporters demonstrate in Yerevan to demand Prime Minister 
    Nikol Pashinian's resignation, .
    
    The opposition forces hold Pashinian responsible for the Armenian side’s defeat 
    in the war with Azerbaijan and say he is not capable of confronting new security 
    challenges facing the country. Their demands for his resignation, the formation 
    of an interim government and conduct of fresh parliamentary elections within a 
    year have been backed by President Armen Sarkissian, the Armenian Apostolic 
    Church and prominent public figures in Armenia and its worldwide Diasapora.
    
    Pashinian has rejected these demands. In a televised address to the nation aired 
    on Monday, he insisted that he still has a mandate to govern the country and 
    will quit only in case of a democratic “expression of the people’s will.”
    
    Pashinian met on Tuesday with parliament deputies representing his My Step bloc. 
    Participants of the two-hour meeting said it focused on the current situation in 
    the Karabakh conflict zone and the ruling political team’s plans to amend the 
    Armenian Electoral Code.
    
    One of the pro-government lawmakers, Nazeli Baghdasarian, told reporters that 
    the authorities “do not rule out pre-term elections.” But she would not be drawn 
    on when they might be held.
    
    Baghdasarian also claimed that the opposition does not want the polls to be held 
    soon because it would stand no chance of winning them.
    
    
    
    Freed Captives Examined By Doctors
    
            • Marine Khachatrian
    
    Armenia - Captives freed by Azerbaijan walk off a Russian plane at Yerevan's 
    Erebuni airport, 
    
    Doctors in Yerevan were examining on Tuesday the first group of Armenian 
    soldiers and civilians freed by Azerbaijan in a prisoner swap facilitated by 
    Russia.
    
    The 30 prisoners of war (POWs) and 14 civilian captives, most of them residents 
    of Nagorno-Karabakh, were flown to Yerevan by a Russian plane late on Monday. 
    For its part, the Armenian side released 12 Azerbaijani prisoners.
    
    All of the freed Armenians were hospitalized immediately after their 
    repatriation. According to the Armenian Ministry of Health, the civilians were 
    taken to civilian hospitals in Yerevan to undergo thorough checkups and, if 
    necessary, receive medical treatment.
    
    Officials confirmed that some of the 44 soldiers and civilians were captured by 
    the Azerbaijani side before the recent Karabakh war stopped by a 
    Russian-brokered ceasefire. One of those servicemen, Arayik Ghazarian, was taken 
    prisoner after straying into Azerbaijani territory in August 2019.
    
    Ghazarian’s mother was among relatives of the freed POWs who waited outside a 
    military hospital where the latter were examined by doctors.
    
    “They were giving me hope, saying that if there is a prisoner swap Arayik will 
    definitely come back because Azerbaijan did not bring criminal charges against 
    him,” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
    
    The November 10 truce agreement commits the conflicting sides to exchanging all 
    POWs and other captives held by them. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian spoke 
    on Monday of “intensive” efforts to secure the release of other Armenians 
    remaining in Azerbaijani captivity.
    
    Their precise number remains unclear. Armenian official say only that Azerbaijan 
    has admitted holding fewer Armenian POWs than were captured by it during the 
    six-week war.
    
    “Some of the prisoners have been returned home but a large number of others 
    remain in Azerbaijan,” said Artak Zeynalian, a human rights lawyer representing 
    the families of dozens of POWs.
    
    
    
    Armenian Central Bank Raises Key Interest Rate
    
    
    Armenia -- The governing board of the Central Bank meets in Dilijan, January 1, 
    2017.
    
    The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) raised its main interest rate by 1 percentage 
    point on Tuesday following a major depreciation of the national currency, the 
    dram.
    The CBA’s governing board increased the refinancing rate to 5.25 percent from 
    4.25 percent despite anticipating a sharper contraction of the Armenian economy 
    than was projected earlier this year.
    
    The bank cut the benchmark rate for four times between March and September this 
    year as the economy plunged into recession due to the coronavirus pandemic. 
    During the most recent rate cut it forecast a GDP decline of 6.2 percent.
    
    Armenia’s economic outlook worsened further following the ensuing outbreak of 
    the war in Nagorno-Karabakh stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 
    10. The domestic economy is now projected to shrink by more than 7 percent in 
    2020.
    
    The Armenian dram has weakened against the U.S. dollar by almost 6 percent over 
    the past month. Its exchange rate had been largely stable since 2013.
    
    The CBA board did not mention the dram’s depreciation in a statement explaining 
    the interest rate rise. The statement cited instead what it described as 
    increased inflationary pressures on the Armenian economy emanating from the 
    outside world.
    
    Senior Central Bank officials downplayed the exchange rate fluctuations earlier 
    this month. They said the bank’s key concern is to continue to curb inflation.
    
    The weaker dram has already pushed up the prices of some key imported foodstuffs 
    such as flour, sugar and cooking oil.
    
    The International Monetary Fund praised the CBA’s monetary policy when it 
    approved a $37 million loan tranche to Armenia late last week. At the same time 
    it urged the bank to be ready to “adjust” that policy while maintaining 
    “exchange rate flexibility.”
    
    
    
    Another Provincial Governor To Resign
    
            • Karine Simonian
    
    Armenia -- Lori Governor Andrey Ghukasian.
    
    The governor of Armenia’s northern Lori province said on Tuesday that he will 
    step down because of a decision to replace him made by the country’s political 
    leadership.
    
    “After the political decision made within the [ruling] team I was offered to 
    tender my resignation,” Andrei Ghukasian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “I 
    accepted the decision and am going to resign tomorrow.”
    
    “After the resignation I will stay in the team and fully support the 
    government,” he said, adding that he has already received new job offers but 
    wants to “take a little break for having a rest.”
    
    Ghukasian linked the decision to replace him with ongoing “changes” taking place 
    in Armenia but did not elaborate. He said he is likely to be replaced by another 
    member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s political team.
    
    Last week, a pro-government lawmaker representing a Lori constituency resigned 
    from the National Assembly, saying that he will soon take up a position in the 
    executive branch. The lawmaker, Aram Khachatrian, on Tuesday did not deny or 
    confirm his impending appointment as Lori’s new governor.
    
    Ghukasian has run the region bordering Georgia for the last two years. He is the 
    third provincial governor replaced since a Russian-brokered ceasefire that 
    stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10.
    
    The Armenian side’s defeat in the war sparked opposition protests and growing 
    calls for Pashinian’s resignation. The prime minister has refused to quit so 
    far, pledging instead to reshuffle his cabinet. He has replaced six government 
    ministers over the past month.
    
    
    
    Armenia, Azerbaijan Begin Prisoner Swap
    
    
    NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- Armored vehicles of Russian peacekeepers move along the road 
    towards Agdam from their check point outside Askeran, November 20, 2020
    
    
    Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged on Monday the first groups of prisoners under a 
    Russian-brokered deal that stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh last month.
    Armenian officials said a Russian plane carrying 44 Armenian prisoners landed at 
    Yerevan’s Erebuni airport late in the evening. It was not immediately clear if 
    the group included only soldiers or also Karabakh Armenian civilians that were 
    held in Azerbaijani captivity.
    
    “Additional information about the returned prisoners will be provided later on,” 
    Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian said in a Facebook post that announced the 
    start of the prisoner swap.
    
    “The process of finding and repatriating our other compatriots who went missing 
    or were possibly taken prisoner is continuing intensively,” he said.
    
    An Azerbaijani government agency announced the start of the exchange earlier in 
    the day. It did not say how many Azerbaijanis have been returned home.
    
    According to news reports, the Armenian side freed two Azerbaijani men who were 
    detained in 2014 after crossing into the Kelbajar district which was handed back 
    to Azerbaijan late last month. The men subsequently received long prison 
    sentences after being convicted by a Karabakh court of murdering an Armenian 
    teenager.
    
    The November 10 truce agreement calls for the exchange of all prisoners of war 
    (POWs) and civilians held by the conflicting sides.
    
    Armenia’s and Karabakh’s closely integrated armed forces have not yet given the 
    official number of Armenian POWs. According to officials in Yerevan and 
    Stepanakert, Azerbaijan has admitted holding fewer Armenian soldiers than were 
    captured by it during the six-week war.
    
    Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman said earlier this month that his office has 
    identified about 60 Armenian POWs shown in videos widely circulated on 
    Azerbaijani social media accounts.
    
    
    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.
    
     
    
    
    

    Armenian PM receives OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

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     17:02,

    YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received on December 14 OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Stéphane Visconti of France, Andrew Schofer of the United States of America, Charge d'Affaires of the Russian Federation in Armenia Aleksey Sinegubov, and Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

    Pashinyan attached importance to the visit of the Co-Chairs to the region following the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh. He highlighted the necessity of resumption of negotiations under the Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format for the comprehensive settlement of the NK conflict. As a priority the Armenian PM stressed the need for clarification of the status of Artsakh, taking into account the importance of the principle of the exercise of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination, the de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh captured by Azerbaijan, the creation of conditions for the safe return of Artsakh-Armenians to their settlements, as well as the preservation of religious and cultural heritage.

    Pashinyan also condemned Azerbaijan’s violation of the commitments assumed by the November 9 trilateral statement, which was demonstrated by provocative actions in the line of contact with Artsakh on December 11 and 12.

    During the meeting issues relating to the post-war situation, the resumption of the negotiation process, the restoration of the rights of Artsakh-Armenians and their security were discussed.

    Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

    Artsakh military death toll reaches 2996 as retrieval and identification of bodies continues

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     16:39,

    YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The death toll of the Artsakh military in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war has reached 2996 as the search, retrieval and identification of bodies continues.

    “As of this moment 2996 bodies were medically examined,” Armenian healthcare ministry spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan told ARMENPRESS.  She said a total of 1816 DNA samples were taken from family members of KIA troops, and 993 samples from the bodies of the KIAs of the 2020 Artsakh war.

    256 samples from family members and 541 samples from the unidentified bodies are pending results as of December 10.

    The examination and identification process continues.

    On December 10, the Artsakh authorities said the number of KIA troops who have been identified so far stood at 1779.

    Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

    Putin, Merkel discuss Donbas, Nagorno-Karabakh and vaccines

    Ukraine Inform
    Dec 7 2020
    07.12.2020 16:35
    Ukrinform
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed, among other things, the settlement in Donbas.

    According to the Kremlin website, the two leaders had a phone conversation on December 7.

    "During the exchange of views … it was stated that, in general, the truce, introduced in accordance with the measures to strengthen the ceasefire regime signed by the Contact Group in July, is being respected," the report says.

    It was also emphasized that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements as the basis for a settlement. The parties confirmed their intention to continue joint work in the "Normandy format", including with the help of political advisers to the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

    In addition, Putin told Merkel about mediation efforts to end hostilities, about the activities of Russian peacekeepers deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor. The readiness for cooperation on this matter within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group was expressed.

    The interlocutors also touched upon the issues of interaction in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. An agreement was reached on contacts between the Health Ministries of the two countries, in particular, on vaccines.