Azerbaijani FM reveals details of Russia’s early peacekeeping proposal during 2020 war
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has revealed new details concerning talks in October 2020 with his Armenian and Russian counterparts in Moscow during the Second Karabakh War and Russia's early proposals for peacekeeping, News.Az reports.
In an interview with İTV, Bayramov said that Russia suggested deploying peacekeepers as early as October 10, 2020, while intense negotiations were taking place between the involved parties.
According to Bayramov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented a draft proposal to both Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 9, 2020. The document, which was brief and included only a few points, called for an immediate ceasefire, the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, and the presence of the Azerbaijani military along the eastern part of the frontlines and Armenian forces along the western part.
Bayramov noted that the document did not address key issues such as the liberation of occupied territories, a condition that Azerbaijan had firmly insisted on. “This proposal would have led to a freezing of the situation, after which no further progress could have been made,” Bayramov explained. Despite this, Azerbaijan indicated a willingness to negotiate with Armenia but emphasized that the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied areas was non-negotiable. The Armenian side also rejected the Russian proposal, leading to prolonged discussions with no agreement.
During the negotiations, Lavrov attempted to maneuver by referencing a prior conversation between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. However, this did little to resolve the differences in positions. At one point, the Azerbaijani delegation requested a break and moved to their embassy, while the Armenian delegation remained at the negotiation site. Bayramov revealed that while at the embassy, the Azerbaijani delegation maintained communication with President Ilham Aliyev and received instructions on their next steps.
Upon returning to the negotiation room, Bayramov recalled that Lavrov was leaving as he received a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Despite the external pressure, Azerbaijan refused to compromise on its position. According to Bayramov, Armenia was under significant pressure to achieve a resolution that day, but Azerbaijan was open to continuing talks the following day.
In a dramatic turn, Bayramov stated that during the negotiations, Azerbaijan received news that the town of Hadrut, a strategic location, had been liberated from Armenian occupation. This development triggered panic among the Armenian delegation, particularly as the situation rendered the Armenian proposal of the 5+2 format (involving the return of five out of seven occupied districts) obsolete. Bayramov pointed out that Hadrut’s liberation effectively made any such proposal irrelevant, signaling a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict.
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