Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the November 9 agreement, which ended the Karabakh war, is being steadily implemented and highlighted the coordinated assistance being provided to people who suffered during the war. He also voiced support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, calling his decision to sign the defeatist agreement “courageous.”
“Everyone is well aware that Russia’s active mediation efforts were needed in order to prevent bloodshed in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone and to achieve a complete cessation of hostilities and start a stabilization process,” Putin said during an online meeting of the CSTO Council.
“At the same time we followed the main agreements reached through the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Now the trilateral statement between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is steadily being implemented. Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the line of conflict and the Lachin corridor,” he said.
“It is important to provide assistance to solve humanitarian problems related to the return of refugees, reconstruction of destroyed infrastructures and protection of cultural and religious monuments. Cooperating with Yerevan and Baku, Russia is already dealing with all these issues,” Putin added.
“Armenia, the Armenian people were living through one of the most difficult times in their history and the Armenian leadership, the Prime Minister [Pashinyan] had to make a very difficult but necessary decision for the Armenian people,” Putin told the leaders of the CSTO countries.
“I have to say, this decision was certainly painful, but necessary and required great courage from the prime minister. This is obvious. He took that responsibility on himself,” added Putin, who urged the other CSTO counties to “personally support the Armenian Prime Minister and his team in order to ensure peaceful life inside the country, and for all agreements to be implemented, and that people affected by the war receive assistance.”
While speaking during the CSTO conference, Pashinyan highlighted highlighted the need for a quick resolution to the problems encountered during the exchange of POWs and the return of remains.
He pointed to the inhumane treatment of POWs by Azerbaijan and said that the delay in returning the captives and the remains of those who died were “urgent problems.”
Pashinyan also said that returning people to Artsakh was another priority for his government.
“People must be sure that they are safe and they can continue to live on their land. Tens of thousands of Artsakh residents have already returned to their homes, and we are making every effort to help and support our compatriots. It is necessary to take steps to protect the religious and cultural monuments of the Armenian people which are located in territories under the control of the Azerbaijani troops,” said Pashinyan.
He also highlighted the unblocking of economic and transport links in the region was necessary for establishing long-term peace in the region.
“The Russian peacekeeping mission deployed in Nagorno Karabakh is today the guarantor of security and peace in the region,” Pashinyan said, highlighting President Putin’s mediation efforts in stopping the war.
