The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] has carried out complicated tasks to divide the warring parties, and is now carrying out profile tasks in the region, Russian defense minister Sergey Shoygu said at a conference at the country's defense ministry.

"With the deployment of our peacekeeping forces, we managed to calm down the situation, and now steps are being taken to carry out the planned work; now it can be called planned. Life is gradually coming back to that region; there is more and more peace and tranquility there," Shoygu said.

According to him, "the merit of all those who were engaged in providing medical assistance and humanitarian aid is great in that."

"And, of course, of all those who stand in the position of peacekeepers around the clock," the Russian defense minister added.

Also, he thanked all Russian army commanders and servicemen serving in Artsakh.

"Everything that happened in, say, a year ago in Karabakh, when the situation was extremely dire, extremely severe, has been overcome by the efforts of our Commander-in-Chief [i.e., Russian President Vladimir Putin], who was conducting those talks, this work—in fact, on a 24-hour basis," Shoygu said.

The defense minister thanked also the Russian military builders, who have put into operation more than 3,000 facilities within a year.