Baku has once again urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the line of contact where Russian peacekeepers have been stationed in line with the November trilateral statement that ended the war between the two South Caucasus republics.
The Russian-brokered trilateral statement entered force at 00:00 hours Moscow time on November 10, 2020 after six weeks of war.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed “along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor” in line with the November statement.
In a statement published on August 12, the Foreign Ministry reminded that Paragraph 4 of the trilateral statement specially indicates that “the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation shall be deployed in parallel with the Armenian armed forces’ withdrawal”.
Reminding that the November deal obliges the sides to “stop at their current positions”, the ministry said “the word ‘stop’ does not mean ‘remain’ in this or any other context. This applies both to the Russian language, in which the document was drawn up, and other languages.”
The ministry clarified other instances about the peace deal.
It reminded that Paragraph 6 of the trilateral statement states that “The Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee the safety of citizens, vehicles and goods traveling along the Lachin corridor in both directions”.
“Thus, the agreed language of the Statement of November 10, 2020 signed by the three parties clearly notes the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan and in no way envisages the stationing and deployment of military personnel,” the ministry stressed.
The ministry said that Yerevan either does not completely understand the trilateral statement or never intended to fulfill its terms. It stressed that the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s statement on August 11, accusing Azerbaijan of violating the cease-fire is Yerevan’s attempts to avoid its obligations under the November statement.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded that Armenian troops be withdrawn from Karabakh. Earlier
Two days ago, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry called on Russia to put an end to the deployment of Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijani territories where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed in line with the November statement.
It stressed that Armenia has violated the November statement by moving its armed forces to Azerbaijan’s territories and in recent days has been setting up its new posts near Mukhtarkend and Shushakend, as well as in the territories to the east of the administrative boundaries of the Kalbajar and Lachin regions.
