One of Azerbaijan's Main Goals is to Discredit the Peacekeeping Mission: Artsakh Foreign Minister

One of the main objectives of Azerbaijani provocations is to discredit the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh, Sergey Ghazaryan, during a conversation with journalists near the Artsakh Permanent Representation in Armenia, commenting on whether Stepanakert agrees with the Armenian authorities' viewpoint, which was also responded to by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Official Stepanakert is cooperating with the command of the peacekeeping forces on a daily basis, and we hope that the peacekeepers will fully carry out their functions,” Ghazaryan noted.

Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated during a briefing on August 30 that it is inappropriate, incorrect, and unfounded to hold the Russian peacekeeping forces responsible for the abduction of Armenian students by Azerbaijani border guards, as a new situation has arisen following Yerevan's recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. She emphasized that the situation in the Lachin corridor is a result of Armenia recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijani territory.

Zakharova's statement was met with a strong response from the spokesperson of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Ani Badalyan, who advised Zakharova to refrain from using tricks regarding the Artsakh issue and not to complicate the situation.

When asked whether the issue of expanding the mandate of the peacekeepers had been discussed with the Armenian authorities, Ghazaryan stated that it would not be appropriate to disclose all aspects of various discussions.

It is worth noting that on the morning of September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, launched a large-scale military offensive along the entire length of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border.

On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev adopted a joint statement on the cessation of hostilities. According to the trilateral statement, the Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor with 1,960 servicemen, small arms, 90 armored vehicles, and 380 units of automotive and special equipment.

The Russian peacekeeping contingent is deployed for a period of 5 years, after which this period will automatically extend for another 5 years unless any party notifies its intention to terminate the application of this provision 6 months before the expiration of the deadline.