MOSCOW. Nov 23 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Russian peacekeepers to prevent routine conflicts between Armenians and Azerbaijanis following the withdrawal of Armenian troops from some areas of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In the course of a meeting dedicated to the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin drew the attention of Gen. Lieut. Rustam Muradov to the fact that some civilians, including Armenians, remain in the Agdam and Lachin districts following the withdrawal of Armenian troops from these areas.
"You should establish contacts with both sides, with the Azerbaijani side in this case, so that the situation in the liberated areas is stable and creating the conditions for the coexistence of people who represent the two nations without any domestic conflicts," Putin said.
"I know that you have good relations with both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani side. People occupying positions vacated by the Armenian army are of course conflicting parties. But the conflict is over. Still, they are civilized people. I know that their sentiment is benevolent in general," he said.
In this case, responsibility rests with the Azerbaijani side, he said.
"I know the determination of the president of Azerbaijan. It is exactly from this perspective that he approaches the issue of organizing further work. On the initial stage, you should forge contacts with both sides and have information about what is going on, and timely exchange such information with both the Armenian side and Azerbaijani colleagues," Putin said.