The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work together after decades of conflict to develop Nagorno-Karabakh, but failed to resolve several challenges that would prevent the success of a Kremlin-negotiated peace agreement in the South Caucasus. can hinder.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who facilitated talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow on Monday, said the peace agreement that entered into force on November 10 had been successfully implemented and that the leaders had reached the conclusion : the terms of this agreement are generally respected. “
The parties agreed to “take concrete steps to build economic ties and develop infrastructure projects,” the Russian leader said, adding that a working group made up of experts from the three countries “would prepare specific plans for the development of transport infrastructure and infrastructure. the region’s economy., ”he said.
An estimated 5,000 people died in the six-week conflict and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to flee their homes, according to aid groups. Monday’s talks marked the first personal talks between Messrs Aliyev and Pashinyan since the fighting culminated when the Azerbaijani army overwhelmed the Armenian forces and returned control of parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas to Armenia that they had lost three decades ago. .
Putin said on Monday that more than 1,100 hectares of land have been cleared, the local population has received medical assistance and that more than 800 tons of construction materials and 1.5 million tons of humanitarian cargo have been delivered to the conflict zone.