Turkey, Russia sign agreement to set up joint Nagorno-Karabakh monitoring centre

Turkey and Russia have signed an agreement to create a joint monitoring centre in Nagorno-Karabakh to ensure the fulfillment of the peace deal requirements after Armenian forces left Azerbaijani territories, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, December 1.

"Russia and Turkey have completed technical negotiations on creation and functioning of the centre for monitoring the Karabakh ceasefire, the agreement has been signed," the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Azerbaijan completes acquiring the territories

Adding further, the ministry said that the operation of the centre is expected to start in the near future as relevant preparations are put in motion. Meanwhile, on the same day, Azerbaijan has completed acquiring the territories ceded by Armenia under a Russia-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. As per reports, the Lachin region was the last of the three areas on the rim of Nagorno-Karabakh to be surrendered by the Armenian forces on Tuesday.

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Earlier on Monday, the Russian troops were posted at some points of the Lachin corridor as part of efforts to oversee the handover. Russia has deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers for at least five years to monitor the peace deal and help the return of refugees. The troops will further secure a safe transit between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia across the Lachin region, as per reports. 

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About Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The Nagorno-Karabakh region lies within Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the separatist war of 1994. That war left Nagorno-Karabakh and large chunks of surrounding lands in Armenian hands.

After the heavy fighting that began on September 27 and concluded after 44 days, the Azerbaijani military defeated the Armenian forces and wedged deep into Nagorno-Karabakh, thus forcing Armenia to accept a Russia-brokered peace deal that took effect November 10. After the agreement, a significant part of Nagorno-Karabakh returned under Azerbaijan's control. In addition to that, Armenia had to hand over all of the regions it held outside the separatist region to Azerbaijan.

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(With agency inputs; Image Credits-AP)