Azerbaijani President: Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh will end in 5 years
At a press conference on February 26, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Russian military who is on a peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, will leave in 5 years.
Aliyev noted that Russiam troops are in the territory that is wholly owned by Azerbaijan. He assured that the Russian mission in Nagorno-Karabakh will not last for decades.
"The term is 5 years, then, if everything is good, they will leave," Aliyev said.
He said that he would not allow the construction of foreign military bases in Azerbaijan’s territory.
According to Aliyev, "not many people live" in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, where Russian troops are deployed. As a result, according to him, they will be integrated into Azerbaijan.
"Armenians who live in Khankendi and other areas should understand that the process of integration is inevitable. There is no such state as Artsakh and there will never be. They will live as citizens of Azerbaijan," Aliyev said.
Aliyev’s statement comes amid the protests in Armenia where pro-Russian forces are trying to oust Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan. Baku does not like the possible strengthening of the "Russian party of war" in Yerevan.