Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, held a phone conversation on Monday to review advancements in Armenia’s reconciliation efforts with neighboring Azerbaijan, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.

In a statement following the call, the ministry emphasized that Lavrov praised the significant strides made in finalizing a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku. “The foreign ministers discussed topical issues on the bilateral, regional, and global agenda. The progress was marked in finalizing the text of the peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku, which was highly assessed in Moscow,” the statement read.

The talks reflect a thawing in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics whose ties have been strained since 1991. That year, Armenian forces occupied Karabakh—a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan—along with seven adjacent territories, sparking decades of tension. Azerbaijan reclaimed most of the disputed land during a 44-day war in 2020, which concluded with a Russian-mediated peace deal that paved the way for normalization and border demarcation negotiations.

The process gained further momentum in September 2023, when Azerbaijan restored full sovereignty over Karabakh following the surrender of separatist forces in the region. Monday’s discussion underscored Moscow’s role in facilitating dialogue between the two South Caucasus nations, with both ministers expressing optimism about the ongoing reconciliation efforts.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Lavrov and Mirzoyan also reviewed the schedule for upcoming meetings at various levels, signaling continued diplomatic engagement between Russia and Armenia as the region moves toward stability. (ILKHA)