Peskov: Russia continues mediation efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Thursday that Moscow will continue to seek to broker a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan amid the ongoing tensions between the two arch-rivals.

“The Russian Federation continues and intends to continue mediation efforts, primarily fulfilling the agreements reached on a tripartite basis,” Peskov said at a press briefing in Moscow.

He confirmed that Russian President Putin had spoken with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the situation in the Lachin Corridor, a road linking Armenia to the Caucasian region of Karabakh.

“We are very concerned about the tension around the Lachin corridor,” Peskov said.

Pashinyan claimed earlier this week that Lachin was out of control of Russian peacekeepers for 20 days, saying Yerevan may raise the possibility of replacing the Russian peacekeeping mission with UN or OSCE forces.

Azerbaijan denied that NGOs present in the corridor protesting “illegal actions” by Armenia were obstructing traffic along the road.

Former Soviet states Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 44-day war in the fall of 2020 over Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

The war, which ended with a peace deal brokered by Russia, saw Azerbaijan liberate many cities and more than 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for nearly 30 years.

Putin, Xi talks

The Kremlin also confirmed that Putin will hold a video meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Peskov said the leaders will focus on bilateral relations and also discuss “acute regional problems” in regions close to Russia and China “in the spirit of true strategic partnership.”