Armenian Prosecutor General, Russian Military Prosecutor discuss  current situation in Karabakh conflict zone

ArmInfo.RA Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan received a delegation led by Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Chief Military Prosecutor Valery Petrov,  who arrived in Armenia within the framework of a regional visit. The  delegation also includes the military prosecutor of the Southern  Military District of the Russian Federation Vladislav Prikhodko, who  is subordinate to representatives of the Russian prosecutor's office  who are in Artsakh as part of the Russian peacekeeping forces.

According to the press service of the RA Prosecutor General's Office,  at the beginning of the meeting Davtyan expressed gratitude to the  Russian delegation for this important visit in these difficult times.  He also highly appreciated the cooperation that has developed between  the two departments.

According to the Prosecutor General of Armenia, mutual interest in  developing cooperation, contributed to the achievement of joint  tangible results in the areas of mutual legal assistance, improving  personnel and combating transnational crime. He pointed to the  personal contribution of his Russian counterpart Igor Krasnov in  initiating the solution of humanitarian issues that have accumulated  in the post-war period, especially noting the consistency of the  Russian Prosecutor's Office in ensuring communication between the  parties, as well as ensuring standards for the exchange of  information, and providing an atmosphere of dialogue.

In turn, Valeriy Petrov noted that the prosecutor's offices of the  Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation successfully cooperate  both on a bilateral and multilateral basis, which is ensured by a  rich legal base, common history and traditions.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the protection of  fundamental human rights and the impact of conflicts on crime trends.  The parties mutually stressed the important role of the Russian  peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh and the military personnel of the  RF Armed Forces carrying out border service in the Syunik region of  the Republic of Armenia in the issue of regional stability and  reducing tensions.

Davtyan noted that the Russian Armed Forces deployed in Artsakh and  Armenia, together with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia  and the NKR Defense Army, provide guarantees for the security and  natural life of the Armenian population, especially in settlements  near the line of contact.

It was noted that the activities of representatives of the military  procurator of the Russian Federation in Artsakh contribute to  ensuring rule of law among the Russian military contingent,  increasing mutual trust in relations with the population.

Artur Davtyan informed the guests in detail that Azerbaijan continues  to fail to fulfill the humanitarian obligations assumed in the  framework of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, regarding  the unconditional return of Armenian prisoners of war and other  detainees to Armenia. As  Davtyan noted, moreover, the groundless,  illegal criminal prosecutions and trials against them are still going  on. In addition, there were numerous cases of violation of the  ceasefire by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, which led to civilian  casualties and damage to property. An information package on these  incidents was handed over to the Russian side, and the hope was  expressed that they would be discussed during further communication  with the Azerbaijani side.

Davtyan drew the attention of his Russian colleagues to the fact that  due to the evasive behavior of the Azerbaijani side, the  implementation of the agreements reached by the prosecutors general  of the three countries on the exchange of information regarding  violations and incidents on the line of contact between Armenia,  Russia and Azerbaijan is practically ineffective.

The parties agreed to continue the dialogue on the issues raised by  both sides.