Moscow welcomes the joint statement made on Thursday by Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirming their commitment to conclude a peace treaty, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said today.
She said Moscow welcomes also the deal between Baku and Yerevan on the release of Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen.
Zakharova said that Russia has consistently promoted the idea of exchange of detainees on the principle of "all for all," which she said 'contributes to mutual confidence building and opens new opportunities in advancing the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process in line with the comprehensive trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020-2022.'
'We are ready to continue to provide all possible assistance in unblocking transportation communications, delimitation of the borders, conclusion of a peace treaty and contacts through civil society," she said in a statement.
Zakharova said that Russia also welcomes Armenia’s support to the bid of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by withdrawing its own candidacy.
Late on Thursday Azerbaijan and Armenia said in a joint statement they have agreed to a prisoner exchange, and to work towards normalizing ties and a peace deal. According to the Armenian government, Azerbaijan will release 32 prisoners of war to Armenia in exchange for two.
Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed also their commitment to normalize relations and conclude a peace treaty based on respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
