During a briefing on July 20, Maria Zakharova, the Spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the Russian peacekeeping mission in Karabakh is vital against the background of ongoing tensions in the region.

Commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statement that Russian peacekeepers will leave Karabakh in 2025, Zakharova noted that Ankara is not a party to the joint statement of the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020. The Spokeswoman added that the Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in the conflict zone based explicitly on this document, and the parameters regarding the extension of the period were reflected in this document. "Russian peacekeepers continue to play an important stabilizing role in Nagorno-Karabakh; their main function is to observe the ceasefire regime. Given the ongoing tense situation in the region, their work is as important as ever," Zakharova noted.

Zakharova noted that maintaining peace in the South Caucasus meets the interests of both Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the regional powers, including Turkey. "In this regard, we can note important cooperation with our Turkish partners within the framework of the Russia-Turkey joint center located in the Aghdam region," the official added.

Touching on the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan during the briefing, Zakharova said that there is a high probability of organizing a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in Moscow regarding the regulation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. "It seems to me that the possibilities are very good, and we will share it with you after receiving concrete information from the experts who are currently working on such a meeting," she added.

Earlier, Erdoğan said at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12 that Russian peacekeepers will leave Azerbaijan in 2025. "The agreement provides for Russian soldiers to stay in these places until 2025. Russia will leave here in 2025. The agreement is in this direction. I also believe that Russia will stick to this agreement. My dear brother Ilham Aliyev is also watching this closely," Erdoğan added.