China News Agency, Moscow, January 11 (Reporter Wang Xiujun) The leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan issued a statement in Moscow on the 11th that a working group led by the three deputy prime ministers will be established to implement Article 9 of last year’s statement and lift the Nagoya The economic and traffic blockade in the Gorno-Karabakh (abbreviated: Naka) region.
On the same day, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Aliyev arrived in Moscow and held a three-party closed-door meeting with Russian President Putin.
According to the Russian President’s Information Bureau, this meeting was initiated at Putin’s initiative.
After several hours of consultation, Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev signed a joint statement and held a press conference.
It is reported that the main content of the joint statement includes that Russia, Asia, and Afghanistan will establish a working group led by the three deputy prime ministers.
The working group should hold its first meeting before January 30. According to Article 9 of last year’s statement, the working group should set out a list of major tasks. The list should prioritize railway and road transportation.
In addition, the working group should determine the implementation checklist and related timetables for the restoration and construction of transportation facilities in the Naka region and the safety of transportation through Azerbaijan and Armenia before March 1.
At the press conference, Putin stated that last year the tripartite statement was complied with, and 48,000 refugees have returned to the Naka region.
At present, the infrastructure, energy and residential buildings in the Naka area are being restored.
The tripartite meeting was very important and meaningful. It reached a statement on regional development and determined specific steps to establish economic ties and develop infrastructure.
Aliyev said that last year's joint statement has been implemented and most of the content has been successfully implemented.
We must consider how to live like neighbors in the future, solve the problems of transportation, regional security and stability.
Pashinyan said that many of the problems of Naka have not been resolved, including the status of Naka.
The Asian side is willing to continue to resolve it through dialogue within the framework of the Minsk Group.
In addition, the most important issues at present are humanitarian issues and the exchange of prisoners of war.
The Naka region is located in southwestern Azerbaijan, and its residents are mostly Armenians.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and Armenia broke out to fight for the Naka region. Armenia occupied the Naka region and the surrounding part of Azerbaijan’s territory.
In 1992, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the predecessor of the OSCE) established the Minsk Group consisting of 12 countries, with Russia, the United States and France as the co-chairs.
Negotiations at different levels on the Naka issue have been held within the framework of the Minsk Group, but no substantive progress has been made.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia reached an agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire, but the two countries have been in a state of hostility due to the Naka issue.
On September 27, 2020, a new round of conflict broke out in the Naka region.
On November 9, 2020, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia signed a statement, announcing that from 0:00 on November 10, 2020 Moscow time, the Naka region will have a complete ceasefire and all military operations in this region will also cease.
(Finish)