Russia says progress made between Armenia and Azerbaijan in transportation issue

“With satisfaction, considerable progress has been stated in agreeing the modalities of unblocking transport communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Thus, a general understanding has been reached concerning the implementation of concrete steps toward restoring and organizing railway communication along the route Yeraskh-Julfa-Megri-Goradiz,” he stated Friday after the meeting of trilateral working group in Moscow.

“The sides agreed to continue working within the trilateral working group,” he added.

The working group held its 12th meeting in Moscow on Friday. The meeting was co-chaired ny Deputy Prime Ministers Shakhin Mustafayev of Azerbaijan, Mger Grigoryan of Armenia and Alexey Overchuk of Russia.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union’s break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Later, the three leaders adopted several more joint statements on the situation in the region. Thus, on January 11, 2021, they agreed to set up a working group at a level of deputy foreign ministers to focus on establishing transport and economic ties in the region.