Azerbaijan is capable of ensuring security in Karabakh on its own, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov told TASS.
"As for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, it’s now part of Azerbaijan and the country is capable of ensuring security on its own. Clearly, the issue is not being resolved unilaterally. I believe that stability in the region depends on the prospects for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he pointed out, commenting on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh.
Azerbaijani Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev said on April 17 that an early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Azerbaijan had begun based on a decision made jointly by the top leadership of the two countries. The defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Russia are taking the necessary measures to implement the decision, he noted.
