Russia To Be Able To Use Karabakh's Transport Links Upon Restoration - Security Council

Muhammad Irfan Published January 20, 2021 | 11:52 PM

Russia, along with Turkey, Iran and Georgia, will be able to use transport routes in the Karabakh region once they are restored under a ceasefire agreement, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Rashid Nurgaliyev, said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) Russia, along with Turkey, Iran and Georgia, will be able to use transport routes in the Karabakh region once they are restored under a ceasefire agreement, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Rashid Nurgaliyev, said on Wednesday.

Earlier in January, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia signed a statement on the development of the Karabakh region. According to the statement, the sides should come up with a road map for the restoration of transport infrastructure for international transit cargo by March 1, among other measures.

"As a priority, the restoration of rail and road communications was set to ensure transportation in the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Neighboring countries - Russia, Iran, Turkey, Georgia - will also be able to use these communications in order to develop international transit," Nurgaliyev said in an interview with the Rossiyaskaya Gazeta newspaper.

As the escalation of the Karabakh conflict was alleviated by the ceasefire agreement, the restoration of transport communications, along with the other measures, creates "fundamental prerequisites for a comprehensive solution to the long-standing conflict in Karabakh," the deputy secretary noted.

In late September, Karabakh plunged into a military conflict, which was a continuation of the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and led to numerous casualties among the civilian population.

The sides made several attempts to sign a truce, but only the Moscow-brokered agreement reached overnight to November 10, 2020, was eventually successful. Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to completely cease fire, as well as exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. Yerevan also transferred the Kalbajar, Lachin and Agdam districts to Baku. Russian peacekeepers have since been deployed to the region to maintain the truce.