Moscow expects to agree on the terms of a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Contacts with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are not being prepared but will take place if necessary, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We are waiting for the terms of the telephone conversation between President Putin and Prime Minister Pashinyan to be agreed. As soon as this conversation takes place, we will inform you," Peskov said.
Russia's contacts with Armenia continue, it has been and remains Russia's ally and partner, and contacts with Azerbaijan, which is also an important partner of Russia, are also continuing, the official said.
"We continue our contacts with the Armenian side as well. Armenia has been and remains our very important ally, partner, and a country close to us. We also continue contacts with Azerbaijan, which is also a very important partner of ours," Peskov said.
The actions of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh are de jure taking place on its territory, Peskov said.
"We do not accept such reproaches, especially after the official decision of the Armenian side to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. De jure, now we are talking about the actions of the Republic of Azerbaijan on its territory. Therefore, such accusations against us are absolutely groundless. Based on nothing," Peskov said, commenting on Grigoryan's words.
The Russian military in Nagorno-Karabakh are not engaged in scholasticism, but are doing real things, helping to evacuate civilians, the spokesperson said.
"We continue our contacts with Armenians in Karabakh. Because our military — they are not engaged in such, you know, verbal scholasticism. They are doing concrete things, fulfilling their role as peacekeepers, helping to evacuate civilians — especially children — from dangerous zones, this work continues day and night," Peskov said.
On September 19, Baku launched its "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh to allegedly restore constitutional order. Baku also stated that the Azerbaijani armed forces used high-precision weapons, allegedly targeting Armenian forces in the region. Yerevan, for its part, reiterated that it had no military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and described the operation as aggression.
In 1923, the region was granted the status of an autonomous area called the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1988, a movement for reunification with Armenia began in Nagorno-Karabakh. On September 2, 1991, it declared independence from Azerbaijan and changed its name to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. From 1992 to 1994, Azerbaijan attempted to regain control over the self-declared republic, resulting in full-scale military hostilities in which up to 30,000 people lost their lives.
In 1994, the parties agreed to a ceasefire, but the status of the republic remained undetermined. In late September 2020, hostilities resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh. On the night of November 10, Azerbaijan and Armenia, with Moscow's support, reached a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, maintaining their respective positions and exchanging prisoners of war and the bodies of the deceased. Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the region, including the Lachin Corridor.
In 2022 with the mediation of Russia, the United States, and the European Union, Yerevan and Baku began discussing the terms of a future peace agreement. In late May of this year, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that Yerevan was ready to recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty within its Soviet-era borders, including Karabakh.
In September 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the Armenian leadership had essentially recognized Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and Armenia could sign a peace agreement by the end of the year if Yerevan did not change its stance.