Armenia and Azerbaijan to Join Humanitarian Center for Nagorno-Karabakh, Lavrov Says

Moscow proposes to involve other states, particularly Armenia and Azerbaijan, in humanitarian response efforts for Nagorno-Karabakh. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a press conference following talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan.

“We also discussed issues related to the creation of a humanitarian response center. This is an initiative of President Putin. We have proposed to make that center international, with the participation of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Now, practical issues of this initiative are being discussed, and many Russian ministries and agencies will participate in its implementation,” noted Lavrov.

Lavrov also mentioned that Russia and Armenia have outlined several steps to address the exchange of prisoners and the return of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. According to him, the measures established in the November 9 declaration regarding Nagorno-Karabakh are beginning to be implemented “with maximum efficiency.”

The Russian Foreign Minister also announced that a UN assessment mission regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh issue will head to the region in mid-December.