MOSCOW, 30 December, 2020, (TON): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed developments in relation to the joint Russian-Turkish peacekeeping center in Nagorno-Karabakh and bilateral ties under U.S. sanctions during his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Sochi on Tuesday.

"The center was created as a result of an agreement reached between the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," the Russian Foreign Ministry cited Lavrov said during a press conference following the meeting of the Russia-Turkey Joint Strategic Planning Group in Sochi.

Lavrov further emphasized that progress in relation to the development of the monitoring center is currently underway.

According to TASS, the Turkish side acknowledged that a ceasefire regime has been established in the region, and expressed hope that the joint monitoring center will be fully set up in the very near future.

Both sides agreed that the tense situation in Nagorno-Karabakh should not be used to deploy foreign mercenaries to the conflict, the ministry said.

"Relations between the Russian Federation and Turkey have intrinsic value and are self-sufficient. They do not depend on someone's aggressive, unfriendly actions and do not depend on anyone's whims," Lavrov noted while discussing bilateral ties.

"Our relations acquired strategic importance long before the West began to threaten and impose its illegitimate unilateral sanctions," the minister said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh war has shown the growth of Turkish influence in the Caucasus, and Moscow no longer looks like the only major power in the region. The peace treaty securing the presence of Russian peacekeepers will expire in five years, after which both Azerbaijan and Armenia will be in a position to call for their withdrawal.

The case of Nagorno-Karabakh highlights the Russian-Turkish dynamic more broadly. The two states are partners as well as competitors across various theatres: in Syria, in Libya, the Southern Caucasus and the Black Sea, as well as the Western Balkans. They have learned their lesson and know how to manage their differences and focus on shared interests.