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Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh (Stanislav Krasilnikov / Getty)
On Wednesday, the Council (Senate) of the Russian Federation unanimously agreed to authorize Russian President Vladimir Putin to send troops equipped with military equipment to the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with retroactive effect from 10 November, when the transfer of personnel began. Maintain Russian peace in the region without the mandate of the Federation Council.
This approval comes hours after Paris announced a tripartite meeting with Washington and Moscow, at a time when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan unveiled a six-month action plan that he said was designed to ensure the democratic stability of your country, even with the change in government formation.
The text of the decision of the Federation Council states: “Authorize the President of the Russian Federation to send military formations equipped with weapons and military and special equipment to Nagorno Karabakh as of November 10, 2020, according to the joint statement of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Armenian Prime Minister and the President of the Russian Federation on November 9. / November 2020, with the aim of respecting the ceasefire agreements and other hostilities in the Azerbaijani and Armenian parties, in order to prevent the death of large numbers of civilians in Karabakh and cause serious damage to civilian sites.
According to the Russian constitution, the terms of reference of the Federation Council include deciding on the question of the use of the armed forces outside Russia. In late September 2015, the Council also unanimously approved the dispatch of troops to Syria.
The approval by the Russian Parliament comes after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced on Tuesday that French and American diplomats will hold talks with Russia on Wednesday in Moscow to remove ambiguity related to the ceasefire agreement. between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the Nagorno Karabakh region.
“Tomorrow we will hold a meeting in Moscow with the envoys interested in the file, to remove the ambiguity surrounding the ceasefire,” Le Drian told representatives of parliament.
He added that the ambiguities are related to the issue of refugees, the demarcation of the border, the ceasefire, the presence of Turkey, the return of the fighters and the start of negotiations on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
And Putin had acknowledged in press releases on Tuesday that the final status of the disputed Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan has yet to be determined, provided the status quo remains at the current stage.
Notably, Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reached an agreement on November 9 for a total cessation of hostilities in Karabakh, which required, in addition to the ceasefire, the cessation of the advance of Yerevan and Baku in their positions, and the transfer of Armenia. Part of the territory of Azerbaijan, causing a wave of protests against Pashinyan, demanding his resignation.
In addition, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed a six-month action plan on Wednesday that he said was designed to ensure the democratic stability of his country, even with the change in government formation.
Pashinyan has rejected calls by opponents and protesters to resign due to what they say is his disastrous handling of the six-week conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces in and around Karabakh.
Under a Russian-negotiated ceasefire agreement, parts of the territory previously controlled by Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan, whose forces regained control of parts of the territory that Baku had lost in a previous war in the 1990s.
Armenia’s foreign minister resigned earlier this week.
Pashinyan confirmed, in a post on “Facebook” today, reported by the “Reuters” agency, that he bears full responsibility for what happened, but said that he is now responsible for the stability of Armenia and ensuring its national security.
He said he wanted to try to restore the formal negotiation process in the Karabakh region under the auspices of the Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and prioritize the return of people to lands still controlled by ethnic Armenians. . This means helping people repair damaged homes and infrastructure, providing financial assistance to the families of soldiers who died in the conflict, and providing adequate care for the wounded.
He added that he also wants to address the legal situation in the Karabakh region, carry out military reform, amend the electoral law, and focus on addressing the coronavirus pandemic and reviving the economy.
“In June 2021 I will report on this roadmap,” Pashinyan wrote. “Public opinion and reaction will be taken into account in determining future measures.”
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