Fighting Successfully Stopped Thanks to Russia's Efforts, Peskov

Russia will continue its mediating efforts to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and stability in the situation can only be achieved through adherence to common agreements regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, to journalists today.

“The Russian side will continue to do this (mediate in the negotiations). In our opinion, the only way to stabilize the situation is to fulfill the trilateral agreements. All countries should first of all adhere to their obligations, and that will be a guarantee against the resumption of such incidents,” Peskov said.

He noted that the resumption of fighting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border has caused serious concern in the Kremlin, but Moscow’s mediation has allowed for its cessation. “You know that, first of all, of course, President Vladimir Putin made active efforts. For that purpose, his conversation with the Prime Minister of Armenia took place yesterday. The resumption of military actions was a serious cause for concern yesterday. But thanks to mediating efforts, the Russian side managed to call for restraint from the conflicting parties,” Peskov stated.

Recall that on November 16, around 13:00, Azerbaijani Armed Forces units initiated another provocation along the eastern border of Armenia, shelling Armenian positions. Following this, local battles began. As a result, the Armenian side lost two combat positions, and the Armenian defense ministry reported the capture of 12 Armenian servicemen and one casualty.

On November 16, at around 22:30, thanks to Russian mediation, the firing was halted. On November 17, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced that as a result of the escalation on November 16, the enemy has up to 70 killed and wounded, with 1 casualty on the Armenian side and 13 prisoners. Communication with an additional 24 servicemen was lost during the military operations, and their fate is currently unknown.