The mission of the Russian Peacekeeping Force, which was deployed to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan following the trilateral declaration signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia after the Second Karabakh War, has been completed.
A ceremony was held at the military base in Khojaly for the completion of the mission of the Russian peacekeeping troops. The ceremony was attended by Chief of the General Staff of Azerbaijan Lieutenant General Kerim Veliyev, First Deputy Commander of the Russian Land Forces and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yevgeni Nikiforov, Commander of the Russian Peacekeeping Force Major General Kiril Kulakov, Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov.
The event started with prayers by Christian and Muslim clergymen from the Russian Peacekeeping Force and the national anthems of the two countries were sung.
In his speech at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Veliyev, Chief of the General Staff of Azerbaijan, said that the Russian Peacekeeping Force has made efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan by fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to it during its duty. Veliyev thanked the soldiers serving in the peacekeeping force and wished them success.
The ceremony, where mutual gifts and medals were presented, ended with music and dance performances by Azerbaijani and Russian artists.
The Second Karabakh War, which started on September 27, 2020 and lasted 44 days, ended on November 10, 2020 with a trilateral declaration by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia.
According to the declaration, 1960 soldiers were deployed to the region to ensure the security of Armenian-populated settlements in Karabakh and the Khankendi-Lachin road, known as the Lachin Corridor.