Russian Peacekeepers Temporarily Deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh: Hikmet Hajiyev

The Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan on Foreign Policy Issues, Hikmet Hajiyev, stated in an interview with the BBC that Baku and Moscow are discussing additional legal mechanisms related to the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. He specifically mentioned the following: "As for additional agreements regarding the mandate of the peacekeepers and additional legal mechanisms, there have been preliminary contacts between the parties, and certain discussions are still ongoing," emphasizing that the Russian peacekeeping contingent is operating in the region and performing activities based on the trilateral statement signed on November 9/10, 2020, between Moscow, Baku, and Yerevan. Hajiyev noted that the trilateral statement establishes a "political and somewhat legal framework" for the peacekeeping forces.