Russia, Turkey Sign Memorandum on Creation of Joint Centre to Control Ceasefire in Karabakh
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, signed a memorandum on the establishment of a joint centre to control the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The joint centre will be located on the territory of Azerbaijan. It will collect, summarise and check information on the observance of the ceasefire regime.
"Following the talks, a memorandum was signed to establish a joint centre to control the ceasefire and all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict", the ministry said.
Shoigu noted that the agreements reached by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers made it possible to stop the bloodshed and create conditions for a return to a peaceful life.
"The presence of Russian peacekeepers will ensure stability in the crisis region, stop the flow of refugees, and will facilitate their return to their places of residence", the Russian minister stressed.
He noted that "the decision to create a joint monitoring center will allow reliable control over the parties' compliance with the ceasefire regime and will form a solid basis for resolving the long-standing conflict".
The centre will become the body to deal with any complaints, questions, or concerns related to violations of the agreements.
On Monday, the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Armenian Prime Minister adopted a joint statement on ending hostilities in Karabakh. Under the deal, the sides agreed to the deployment of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers to the region.
- Source : Sputniknews.com
