Russia is interested in the further strengthening of cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)]. The statement came from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting with ICRC President Peter Maurer on Tuesday, TASS reported.

"Now we have received an additional field for cooperation; I mean Nagorno-Karabakh. A week ago, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Russian Federation signed a trilateral joint statement," the Russian FM said. "A Russian peacekeeping contingent is stationed there, and we know how active and long-standing the International Committee of the Red Cross is in the region. We are interested in the strengthening of our cooperation which is already actively developing."

On November 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities in and around Artsakh. Accordingly, Russian peacekeepers will be deployed in the region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. But this statement also stipulates the handover of part of Artsakh lands to Azerbaijan.