Russia and Turkey have signed a memorandum on creation of a joint center for monitoring the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The document was signed as a result of talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar.
According to Shoigu, the agreements reached by the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and Armenian Prime Minister, as well as deployment of Russian peacekeepers to the conflict zone made it possible to stop hostilities, end bloodshed and lay down conditions for return to peaceful life.
“The presence of Russian peacekeepers will ensure stability in the crisis region, stop the flow of refugees and facilitate their return to their places of residencies,” the Russian minister stressed.
He added that “the decision to create a joint monitoring center will allow exercising control over compliance with the ceasefire by the parties and will form a strong basis for settling the longstanding conflict.”
The center will be located in Azerbaijan. It will collect, summarize and verify information about the implementation of the ceasefire by the parties and other actions that violate the agreements reached. It is also tasked with documenting violations via visual supervision, UAVs as well as assessing data from other sources.
The center will also consider any complaints, issues or problems regarding violation of the agreements reached.
