French President Emmanuel Macron announced his readiness to protect the religious and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh and provide humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The French leader announced this today during videoconferences with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
«The President of the Republic announced France's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and his readiness to take decisive measures to protect the religious and cultural heritage of the region (Nagorno-Karabakh) », - reported in the press service of the Elysee Palace.
The press release notes that "the cessation of hostilities should allow the resumption of mutual negotiations aimed at protecting the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and ensuring the return of tens of thousands of people who fled their homes in recent weeks."
The official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia also reports that the leaders of the two countries stressed the importance of maintaining peace in the region and further defusing the atmosphere. The press service added that "the Prime Minister of Armenia noted the fundamental importance of the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh."
«The importance of the full resumption of the work of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs was bilaterally emphasized. The issue of ensuring the safe return of tens of thousands of people who left their homes in recent weeks was discussed, and the importance of preserving the religious, cultural and historical heritage of Artsakh was also noted.», - said in a press release following the videoconference between Macron and Pashinyan.
On November 17, the head of the United States Department of State, Mike Pompeo, announced that the United States would allocate $ 5 million for humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Earlier on November 19, the European Union allocated three million euros to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh affected by the conflict in the region. These funds will be intended for humanitarian support of people who will receive food, winter clothes, medicines and other essentials. Since the beginning of October, the EU has already allocated 900 thousand euros for the needs of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed an agreement on the complete cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 9. The document also provides for the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the region. They will control the entire contact line and the Lachin corridor. The Armenian military must leave the unrecognized republic. In addition, Yerevan is obliged to return a number of regions of Nagorno-Karabakh under Baku's control.
The conflict between Yerevan and Baku in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27. The parties accused each other of shelling border settlements. Martial law was introduced in Armenia and Azerbaijan and mobilization was announced. The parties to the conflict several times agreed on a ceasefire, but these agreements were violated after a few hours.
