Putin To Aliyev-Good That Conflict Has Stabilised, But Situation Tense

Wires carrying comments from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin following talks between the two. Comes in the wake of the deadliest outbreak of fighting on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border since the month-long war between the two Caucuses' nations in 2020.

• Aliyev to Putin: Situation has been stabilised, ceasefire has been observed for two days already. Azerbaijan is committed to trilateral agreements.
• Putin to Aliyev: 'It's good that escalation of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has decreased, but situation is still tense'.
• While the conflict is contained within the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region and its surrounds, the outbreak of fighting - with over 100 troops killed in total - comes at the same time as reports of shelling and gunfire exchanges between Kyrgyz and Tajik troops along those countries' border.
• For Russia, which has historically viewed Central Asia and the Caucuses as within its sphere of influence, two simultaneous conflicts on its doorstep come at an inopportune time as the Kremlin deals with military setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine, and likely concerns about its declining influence compared to China in Central Asia.