On 1 December, the region of Lachin was returned to Azerbaijani control according to the trilateral agreement signed between Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. 

The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a public speech on the occasion of gaining control over the Lachin region. He stated that during the negotiations the Armenian side never expressed readiness to hand over the region to Azerbaijan. “In general, the Armenian side believed that the entire Lachin district should be given to them as a corridor. Unfortunately, some Western circles supported this position, which made Armenia's position even more irreconcilable, and one can say that the enemy became completely impudent. When topics related to the Lachin corridor were raised during the negotiations, both Armenia and its patrons always noted that, no, Lachin district is a separate topic,” he said.

Aliyev also announced that the Karabakh conflict was officially over. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is gone. If someone thinks that this conflict still exists, they are wrong. People living in Nagorno-Karabakh today are citizens of Azerbaijan. I want to say again that they will live better within a united Azerbaijani state. They will get rid of this poverty,” he stated. 

The Azerbaijani President also put a great emphasis on establishing a connection with its Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. “There should be two corridors [which would connect Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan]. We are taking Nakhchivan out of the encirclement and, at the same time, opening a new transport artery. I can say that all countries will only benefit from this. Azerbaijan is establishing a connection with its integral part, Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan connects with Turkey. Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran. Armenia, if it wants, may also join this corridor. Thus, a new five-sided cooperation platform can be created in the region. To achieve this, cooperation needs to develop alongside security measures,” he said.

According to Azerbaijani estimates the Lachin region suffered $ 7.1 billion in damage since 1992. These included the destruction of 217 cultural institutions, 101 educational institutions, 142 health care institutions, 462 trade facilities, 30 communication facilities, 2 motor transport and other production facilities, 200 historical monuments of local and 54 monuments of world importance. The Azerbaijani Center for Economic Reforms Analysis and Communication announced that agricultural, industrial, and tourism sectors will be developed in the region.

Parallel to the handing over of the Lachin region, Russia and Turkey signed the agreement to create a joint monitoring centre on Karabakh, which would be situated in Azerbaijan. According to the agreement, Russia and Turkey would have an equal number of representatives in the centre.

Meanwhile, the de-facto President of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutunyan made a post on Facebook urging all Karabakh Armenian’s to unite and not only get out of the existing situation with joint efforts but take the path of lasting development and empowerment. “I have started consultations with wide political and public circles in this extremely difficult time to discuss the existing challenges and future actions,” he wrote, adding that with the mid-term results of the discussions he sees opportunity of formation of authorities with national consent.

Harutyunyan’s predecessors Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan responded to Nikol Pashinyan’s statements regarding Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations (Caucasus Watch reported). “We came to the conclusion that it was necessary to take measures to stop the war immediately, about which we have repeatedly informed the incumbent (de facto) President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, urging him to address Armenia's Prime Minister and the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. On 18 October 2020, Harutyunyan also came to this conclusion and asked for our assistance in this matter, obtaining our consent,” the message read. 

“On 19 October, Harutyunyan had prepared relevant letters addressed to the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries and Pashinyan on the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of the negotiation process within the OSCE Minsk Group. However, Pashinyan reasoned that under the condition of the situation created as a result of Azerbaijan’s policy… the reference to these letters lost its expediency. As for Pashinyan’s posts, which do not correspond to reality, at the moment we consider it expedient not to reflect on them in order to avoid unnecessary speculations and unfounded discussions,” the statement emphasised.