On December 29, Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the Russian President, responding to Nikol Pashinyan's statement, said that to grant the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh a UN mandate, the agreement of Armenia and Azerbaijan is necessary.

"International peacekeepers can be involved if both parties to the conflict agree, and it is not only Armenia but also Azerbaijan," Peskov added. "Armenia is one of our closest allies, while Azerbaijan is our very valuable and dearest partner," the Kremlin Spokesman emphasized.

He also said that Russia would continue efforts to facilitate the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "The Russian Federation continues and intends to continue its mediation efforts, implementing primarily those agreements that have been reached on a trilateral basis," he stated.

He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijanis on the margins of an informal CIS summit. "We are concerned about the tension which has emerged around the Lachin corridor," Peskov added.

Peskov assured that the Russian side will continue its work and efforts in contact with Yerevan and Baku.

As previously reported by Caucasus Watch, at the Armenian government's session on December 29, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, "If Russia is unable to ensure stability and security in [separatist] Nagorno-Karabakh for objective or subjective reasons, then it should initiate a discussion in the UN Security Council to grant the Russian military contingent a UN Security Council mandate."