Russian President Vladimir Putin has succeeded in brokering a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, thus preventing the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis from spiraling into a strategic crisis. Announced early on November 10, the agreement includes the deployment of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers who have already started to deploy.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday: “A statement was signed between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
The agreement calls for Armenian forces to turn over control of some areas it held outside the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the eastern district of Agdam. It should be noted that the ceasefire that ended the fighting in the 1990s war left not only Karabakh in the hands of Armenians but all the territory between Karabakh and Armenia itself, an area as large as Karabakh. This forced the Azeri population to flee the area. Apparently these refugees will now return. According to TASS, the region around the city of Agdam and the Lachin region, will be turned over to Azerbaijan, but the main road leading from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia will remain open and be protected by Russian peacekeepers, who are already deploying.
The agreement also calls for transport links to be established through Armenia linking Azerbaijan and its western exclave of Nakhchivan, which is surrounded by Armenia, Iran and Turkey.
Describing the agreement Russian President Vladimir Putin said: “Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Nagorno-Karabakh’s territory and adjacent areas under control of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees...
