INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he hopes for "normalization" of ties between rivals Armenia and Azerbaijan who pledged not to
resort to force in their territorial dispute after tripartite talks, reasserting Moscow's role as Caucasus powerbroker.The summit was held
after decades of domination.The initiative comes a month after the worst clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war in 2020."It
was a very useful meeting that created a very good atmosphere for possible future agreements," the Russian president told
"It is in everyone's interest to normalize relations."We will remain in contact and continue the dialogue and the search for the necessary
solutions to put an end to this conflict," Putin said.In a joint declaration after the Russian-mediated talks, Armenia and Azerbaijan
"agreed not to use force" to resolve their dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory.They also agreed "to settle all disputes solely on
the basis of the recognition of mutual sovereignty and territorial integration."Both countries stressed "the importance of active
preparations for the conclusion of a peace agreement..
to guarantee lasting and long-term peace in the region."Ahead of the trilateral summit in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin met
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, separately."The most important is to ensure peace and create
conditions for development," he told Pashinyan.Ahead of the meeting, Pashinyan said Yerevan's priorities included Azerbaijani withdrawal
thanked his Russian counterpart for giving "impetus to the normalization process.""The Karabakh conflict is already part of history
This issue was resolved two years ago
more than 6,500 troops on both sides, ended with a Russian-brokered deal that saw Yerevan cede swathes of territory that it had controlled
increasingly isolated on the world stage following its offensive on Ukraine, the US and the EU have taken a leading role in mediating the
Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks.EU chief Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron hosted talks between Pashinyan and Aliyev in
Brussels in August.Following a slew of diplomatic efforts from Brussels and Washington, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met on
3 in Geneva to begin drafting the text of a future peace treaty.Russia and EU leaders have traded criticism of their respective efforts in
Moscow was "destabilizing" the peace process.Moscow has traditionally acted as a middleman between the two countries, which were both part
peacekeeping mission has been criticized by some with even Pashinyan raising concerns about the force, in rare Armenian criticism of its
separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan
The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.
