“The release by Azerbaijan and reparation to Armenia of 8 Armenian detainees is another sign of positive developments following the meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyeva and Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan. The EU supports stability and prosperity in the region,” Charles Michel said in a tweet.

The release by Azerbaijan and reparation to Armenia of 8 Armenian detainees is another sign of positive developments following the meeting with @EmmanuelMacron @azpresident @NikolPashinyan

The EU supports stability and prosperity in the region. pic.twitter.com/PprzrxxRt6

— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 7, 2022

On Friday, President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan have met virtually.

Michel and Macron reaffirmed their full commitment to supporting efforts aimed at reducing tension and building trust in the region, according to a joint statement released by two leaders.

“They took stock of progress achieved since the meetings held in the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit, in particular recent releases of detainees, ongoing joint efforts to search for missing persons, as well as the upcoming restoration of railways tracks,” the statement said.

The clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia began on the morning of 27 September 2020 along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact, which had been established in the aftermath of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

After 40-day fierce clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, a ceasefire agreement was signed on 9 November by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

The agreement ended all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region from 00:00, 10 November 2020 Moscow time.

According to the agreement both parties will exchange prisoners of war and the dead.

Furthermore, the Armenian forces will withdraw from Armenian-controlled territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh by 1 December.

A 2,000-strong Russian peacekeeping force from the Russian Ground Forces will be deployed to the region for a minimum of five years to protect the Lachin corridor, which is situated between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Additionally, Azerbaijan will gain passage to its Nakhchivan exclave, which is detached from Azerbaijan, through a strip of land in Armenia's Syunik Province close to the border with Iran.

Russian forces will oversee security for the roads connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan. (ILKHA)