Results of the meeting in Yevlakh between Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijani representatives

On September 21, based on the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on September 21, in the city of Yevlakh, Ramin Mammadov, the person responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh. Rear Admiral Oleg Semyonov, head of the Russian side of the Russian-Turkish Joint Monitoring Center, attended the meeting as a participant.

"At the meeting held in a constructive and positive environment, discussions were held on the issues of reintegration of the Armenian population of Karabakh, restoration of infrastructure, and organization of activities based on the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Reintegration plans were presented by Ramin Mammadov," the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan added.

"Also, the importance of quick implementation of the issues reflected in the September 20 statement on the suspension of anti-terrorist measures of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan was emphasized. Representatives of the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan said that there is a special need for fuel in the context of the discussion of social and humanitarian issues. At the same time, they asked for humanitarian aid in the form of food products. As a result of the meeting, their request was received positively. In particular, the heating systems of kindergartens and schools, as well as the needs for emergency medical aid and firefighting services, are planned to be quickly supplied with fuel and humanitarian support is planned," the report added.

The Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan said an agreement was reached to hold the next meeting soon.

Russian peacekeepers evacuated 5 thousand people from Karabakh

On September 21, Russian peacekeepers evacuated 5 thousand people from three districts of Nagorno-Karabakh. "Since the beginning of active hostilities, Russian peacekeepers have evacuated civilians from Martakert [Aghdere in Azerbaijani], Martuni [Khojavand in Azerbaijani] and Asgaran districts. About 5 thousand people have been delivered to the location of the peacekeeping contingent," the report added. The evacuated people are provided with resting places and hot meals. It is also noted that continuous interaction is maintained with Baku, Yerevan, and Stepanakert to prevent bloodshed, ensure security and compliance with the norms of humanitarian law regarding civilians, and ensure the safety of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

Moscow answers Yerevan's accusations about obligations in Karabakh

Commenting on Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan's statement that Moscow does not fulfill its obligations to protect the population of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 20, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow considers groundless accusations from Yerevan against Russia that it does not fulfill its obligations on Nagorno-Karabakh.

"De-jure we are talking about Baku's actions on its territory," the Kremlin spokesman told reporters. According to him, in the situation with Karabakh, the Kremlin proceeds from the trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan reached in 2020-2022. "The second archival criterion at the moment, when Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared the recognition of Azerbaijan's borders according to [the situation in] 1991. This means that the Armenian side recognized Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijani territory. This has significantly changed several provisions, and we do not accept such reproaches in our address, especially after the official decision of the Armenian side to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan," the official pointed out.

Recently, the administrative head of the Armenian Security Council said in an interview with the republic's Public TV on the evening of September 19 that Russia has been cooperating with Azerbaijan for a long time. "It is unambiguous that in 2011, Azerbaijan started selling arms worth $5 billion, and this has been going on for 12 years. It is also unambiguous that there were no changes in Armenia's foreign policy after 2018, at least until 2021-2022. According to the November 9 trilateral statement, Russia has clear obligations to protect Nagorno-Karabakh. There is the November 9 statement and the signature of the Russian President. Is there anything more important than that signature? And Russia's peacekeepers are obliged to protect Nagorno-Karabakh. But they do not fulfill this obligation," Grigoryan claimed. According to him, Azerbaijan has launched a large-scale attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, and Russian peacekeepers do not conduct any operations.

Moreover, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Konstantin Zatulin stated that the fact that the Armenian leadership abandoned compatriots in Karabakh and gave the region to Azerbaijan is evidence of betrayal of the interests of the Armenian people. 

"We see that the Armenian government has abandoned its compatriots and prepared the ground from its side to make the operation of Azerbaijani troops in Karabakh look like an internal affair. Not requiring intervention from Armenia. Personally, Pashinyan is trying to infect Armenians in Armenia with cowardice so that they, thinking about themselves, do not interfere in any way in the events that are taking place. What is happening is not only an element of genocide against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh but also, quite obviously, is a prologue to further squeezing Russia out of the Caucasus," Zatulin added.

According to the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Armenia now has grounds to accuse Russia of inaction. "Azerbaijan shoots in Karabakh, but it hits Moscow in a political sense. Because Azerbaijan's actions in the conditions of the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh not only threaten the lives of soldiers and officers of this contingent. But also become grounds for accusing Russia of inaction," the official pointed out.

He emphasized that further development of the situation in Karabakh will depend on the pressure Moscow should exert on Baku. "First of all, it is not in our interests to resume hostilities. There is and cannot be any benefit for the Russian Federation in the fact that Azerbaijan has moved to military action. People in Russia who claim otherwise are either stupid or traitors to their own country. As for the future, everything will depend on the degree of persistence of the Russian side and the pressure we have to put on Azerbaijan to stop military actions. Unfortunately, the impression is that Azerbaijan has exploded. And this is not just an outbreak in the zone of former hostilities, but a purposeful plan to squeeze Armenians out of Karabakh altogether," Zatulin summarized.

Vladimir Putin: "Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are doing everything to protect civilians"

During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on September 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are doing everything to protect civilians.

"Our peacekeepers are working very actively with all parties involved in this conflict. They are doing everything to protect the peaceful population," the head of state emphasized. "Russia hopes de-escalation will be achieved in Karabakh," Putin noted. "We are in very close contact with all parties to the conflict - with the authorities in Yerevan, Stepanakert [Khankendi in Azerbaijani], and Baku. I hope that we will be able to achieve de-escalation and transfer the solution to this problem in a peaceful direction," the Russian President said.

Putin added that the main base of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh currently hosts more than 2,000 civilians, more than a thousand of whom are children.

Russian peacekeepers killed by Azerbaijani servicemen

On September 20, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that unknown persons fired at a car with Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the military men [8 servicemen as of 16:25 CET] were killed. "On September 20, while returning from the observation post of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the vicinity of Janyatag settlement, a car with Russian servicemen came under small arms fire. As a result of the shelling, the Russian servicemen in the car were killed," the ministry said.

The commander of the Azerbaijani armed forces corps, whose subordinates are guilty of the death of Russian peacekeepers, was suspended from duty, and the suspects in the death of Russian peacekeepers have been detained. 

Aliyev talks with the leaders of the EU, Turkey, and Russia

On September 20, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, called Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Press Office of the Azerbaijani President reported.

Charles Michel expressed his concern about the developments which occurred in the region. President Ilham Aliyev said that the units of Armenia's armed forces in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan had committed terrorist acts yesterday, killing police officers and civilians, and noted that Azerbaijan had to take local anti-terror measures in response.

"The head of state touched upon the agreement on stopping anti-terror measures and called it a positive step: withdrawing the formations of Armenia’s armed forces, illegal armed groups laying down their weapons, their disarming, and the meeting to be held in Yevlakh. President Ilham Aliyev noted that the meeting in Yevlakh would center on the rights and obligations of the Karabakh Armenians based on the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan as well as their cultural, religious, municipal, and other rights. The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijan implements this in the context of its domestic affairs," the report added. The Azerbaijani President touched upon the support for the regional peace agenda, adding that unilateral steps can yield a reverse effect. The Azerbaijani leader underlined that the results would positively impact taking forward the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty talks.

The President of the European Council described the end of anti-terror measures as a positive fact and expressed hope for ensuring a ceasefire. Charles Michel also positively assessed the meeting to be held in Yevlakh.

On the same day, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Turkey, called the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

"During the telephone conversation, the heads of state exchanged views on the completion of local anti-terrorist measures and the laying down weapons and disarming of illegal armed groups in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The presidents stressed that Azerbaijan and Turkey always stand by each other. The heads of state exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including future contacts and prospects for relations of strategic alliance," the report added.

On September 21, Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation at the initiative of the Azerbaijani side.

President Ilham Aliyev delivered his apology and profound condolences over the tragic death of the military personnel of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh on September 20. The head of state emphasized that a thorough investigation would be conducted, and all the perpetrators would receive deserved punishment. Both countries' prosecutor general offices are in close contact over the case.

The President of Azerbaijan also said he was ready to provide financial assistance to the families of the killed.

"The sides noted the importance of consistent implementation of the agreements reached with the support of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the complete cessation of hostilities in Karabakh. Much significance is attached in this context to the contacts started in the city of Yevlakh today between the representatives of Azerbaijan’s state bodies and the Armenian population of Karabakh with the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Priority steps were discussed to stabilize the regional situation and solve humanitarian problems. Vladimir Putin underscored the importance of ensuring the rights and security of the Armenian population of Karabakh. The Azerbaijani side’s readiness for interaction on this matter with Russian peacekeepers was confirmed. The sides agreed to step up efforts towards opening transportation communications, delimitation of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, and signing the peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan during the process of negotiations against the backdrop of high-level trilateral agreements reached in 2020-2022," the report added.