Azerbaijan warns Russia over illegal entry of foreign vehicles into its territories

ANKARA

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry warned Russia on Sunday over allowing the entry of vehicles from foreign countries into Azerbaijani territories.

"The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan has sent letters to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Command of Peacekeeping Forces regarding the illegal entry of vehicles belonging to other countries into the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where peacekeepers of the Russian Federation are temporarily deployed," the ministry in a written statement.

On Nov. 10, 2020, following a 44-day conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Upper Karabakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, and surrounding regions, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered cease-fire to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

During the six weeks of fighting, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and some 300 settlements and villages after a nearly three-decade occupation.

In line with the agreement, Armenian forces withdrew from Azerbaijani territories and Russian peacekeeping forces were deployed in the region.

Meanwhile, Turkey and Russia also set up a joint center to monitor the peace deal in January.

The ministry said it wrote in the letters that such cases "contradict" the joint statement signed by the president of Azerbaijan, Russia, and the Armenian prime minister, and "asked to prevent them."

"No individual or legal entities of other countries and their vehicles can enter the territory of Azerbaijan without the agreement of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and such cases are considered to be violation of the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the readout said.