Foreign Ministry statement on the fifth anniversary of the ceasefire agreement between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone
7 November 2025 13:52
1872-07-11-2025
November 9, 2025, marks the fifth anniversary of the Statement on a complete ceasefire and the termination of all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. Hours of negotiations between the three countries' leaders ended the bloodshed and initiated a series of steps to restore peace in the region.
A Russian Peacekeeping Contingent was subsequently deployed to the region in accordance with the November 9, 2020 Statement, making an indispensable contribution to stabilising the situation and ensuring security in the region, at the cost of our soldiers' lives. Since the beginning of the peacekeeping operation, Russian peacekeepers have cleared of explosive items 2,550.2 hectares of land, demined over 689 kilometres of roads, inspected 1,940 buildings, and located and neutralised 26,794 explosive hazards. The operation of 31 socially significant facilities has been restored, along with 40 kilometres of communication lines and 20 kilometres of gas pipelines. An exchange of detainees and prisoners of war was also brokered, resulting in the repatriation of 213 individuals - 189 to Armenia and 24 to Azerbaijan.
When hostilities resumed in September 2023, Russian military personnel facilitated a ceasefire, ensured the safety of the civilian population, accommodated approximately 5,000 civilians (including over 2,000 children) at their deployment points and observation posts, and guaranteed the safe passage of the ethnic Armenian population to Armenia. The peacekeepers continued to fulfil their duty until their withdrawal on June 12, 2024.
Following the November 9, 2020 Statement, a decision was made at the Moscow summit on January 11, 2021, at the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to establish a Trilateral Working Group (TWG). Co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Russian Federation, its mandate was to unblock all economic and transport links in the region. The TWG has accomplished extensive work to coordinate both the legal framework and technical parameters for establishing transport routes between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
On November 26, 2021, in Sochi, the leaders of the three countries reached an agreement to establish commissions for the delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, followed by its demarcation, with the Russian Federation providing advisory assistance at the parties' request.
At their meeting on October 31, 2022, in Sochi, the heads of state emphasised the importance of actively preparing a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia to achieve sustainable and long-term peace in the region. This was to be based on the progress achieved and with the assistance of the Russian Federation. They also agreed to work towards resolving all outstanding issues, including humanitarian matters.
Taken together, these four highest-level statements form a roadmap for the peace process. The agreements remain valid and relevant. The important foundations built in the trilateral format are being actively utilised by the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides, including in their direct dialogue. In this context, the Russian side welcomed the initialling of the draft Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia by their foreign ministers in Washington on August 8, 2025.
Baku and Yerevan still have much to do to make the normalisation of their bilateral relations irreversible. This includes signing a peace treaty, restoring transport and economic links in the interests of all South Caucasus countries and their immediate neighbours, completing a fair process of border delimitation and demarcation, and establishing effective civil society contacts. Russia is ready to continue providing comprehensive assistance in all areas to its Azerbaijani and Armenian partners, including within the 3+3 Regional Cooperation Platform (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Türkiye).
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