Azerbaijan offers route for withdrawal of disarmed Armenian military personnel from Garabagh

According to the agreement reached on September 20, the disarmed and demobilized personnel of the Armenian armed forces will be provided with exit from the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan in the direction of Lachin-Khankendi and Kalbajar-Basarkechar by buses and personal transport, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Garabagh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan’s Garabagh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Garabagh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan’s Garabaghregion, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Garabagh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Garabagh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.