Russia committed to supporting normalisation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed Russia's commitment to facilitating the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

He made the remarks during a ceremony in Moscow where he received credentials from foreign ambassadors, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts towards the delimitation of the state border and the unblocking of economic and transport connections, in line with the trilateral agreements established at the highest level between 2020 and 2022.

"We will continue to assist in the work on the peace treaty and the delimitation of the state border, as well as the restoration of economic and transport ties," Putin stated.

He expressed that Russia would do everything possible to normalize relations between the two countries.

Additionally, Putin announced plans to meet with leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in December to discuss future collaboration and initiatives.

Notably, the main obstacle to a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia remains Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, signed in August 1990, includes a joint decision by the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Karabakh Council to "reunify the Armenian SSR and the Mountainous Region of Karabakh".

In September this year, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev stated that it would be "simply impossible" to reach a peace deal with Armenia as its constitution contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan. These claims and other legislative acts remain key obstacles to finalizing the peace agreement.

By Khagan Isayev