themoscowtimes--2020-11-15--Azerbaijan Extends Armenian Pullout Deadline From Disputed Area

Azerbaijan said Sunday it had agreed to extend a deadline for Armenia to withdraw from a disputed district as part of a peace accord that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Residents of the Kalbajar district in Azerbaijan , which has been controlled by Armenian separatists since a 1990s post-Soviet war , began a mass exodus in the days leading up to the initial withdrawal deadline on Sunday .
But a foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said his country had extended the deadline over humanitarian considerations .
Hikmet Hajiyev said the withdrawal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal Armenian settlers '' was delayed until November 25 following an appeal from Armenia and mediation with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
`` Kalbajar 's settlement by Armenians was illegal .
The people who were resettled there have no property rights , '' Hajieyv told a news conference .
Kalbajar was almost exclusively populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis before they were expelled by Armenians in the 1990s war between the two countries over Nagorno-Karabakh , and a majority of the homes being abandoned previously belonged to Azerbaijanis .
AFP journalists saw fleeing residents pile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Armenia on the weekend .
Thick plumes of smoke rose over the valley near the village of Charektar after residents set their homes on fire , preferring to leave devastation in their wake and homes that would be uninhabitable by Azerbaijanis .
`` We also moved our parents ' graves , the Azerbaijanis will take great pleasure in desecrating our graves .
It 's unbearable , one Charektar resident said .
A Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed this week to Nagorno-Karabakh set up checkpoints and positions in the region 's administrative center Stepanakert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace deal , which sees Armenia cede swathes of territory that Azerbaijan 's forces gained in the weeks of fighting .

Azerbaijan said Sunday it had agreed to extend a deadline for Armenia to withdraw from a disputed district as part of a peace accord that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Residents of the Kalbajar district in Azerbaijan, which has been controlled by Armenian separatists since a 1990s post-Soviet war, began a mass exodus in the days leading up to the initial withdrawal deadline on Sunday.
But a foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said his country had extended the deadline over humanitarian considerations.
Hikmet Hajiyev said the withdrawal of "Armenian armed forces and of illegal Armenian settlers" was delayed until November 25 following an appeal from Armenia and mediation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Kalbajar's settlement by Armenians was illegal. The people who were resettled there have no property rights," Hajieyv told a news conference.
Kalbajar was almost exclusively populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis before they were expelled by Armenians in the 1990s war between the two countries over Nagorno-Karabakh, and a majority of the homes being abandoned previously belonged to Azerbaijanis.
AFP journalists saw fleeing residents pile furniture and kitchenware into vehicles before leaving for Armenia on the weekend.
Thick plumes of smoke rose over the valley near the village of Charektar after residents set their homes on fire, preferring to leave devastation in their wake and homes that would be uninhabitable by Azerbaijanis.
"We also moved our parents' graves, the Azerbaijanis will take great pleasure in desecrating our graves. It's unbearable, one Charektar resident said.
Russian peacekeeping force
A Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed this week to Nagorno-Karabakh set up checkpoints and positions in the region's administrative center Stepanakert.
The deployment was part of the peace deal, which sees Armenia cede swathes of territory that Azerbaijan's forces gained in the weeks of fighting.


themoscowtimes--2020-11-15--Moldova Torn Between Russia and West in Presidential Runoff

Moldova heads to the polls on Sunday for the second round of a tightly-contested presidential election pitting a pro-European challenger @ @ @ @ @ incumbent .
The tiny ex-Soviet nation votes under the watchful eye of Russia , which @ @ @ @ @ in its sphere of influence as several Kremlin-aligned governments are rocked by political unrest .
@ @ @ @ @ earlier this month , pro-European Maia Sandu — a 48-year-old center-right politician — won a @ @ @ @ @ who worked for the World Bank and briefly served as prime minister , won over @ @ @ @ @ against pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon 's 33 percent .
Caught off guard by the electoral @ @ @ @ @ supporters at a rally on Friday to turn out for the vote and take to @ @ @ @ @ ballot to `` protect our victory . ''
The Kremlin-backed candidate , reportedly aided by @ @ @ @ @ up rhetoric against Sandu saying his opponents have crossed red lines .
`` If we @ @ @ @ @ lose our country , '' Dodon said at Friday 's rally .

Moldova heads to the polls on Sunday for the second round of a tightly-contested presidential election pitting a pro-European challenger against the country's Moscow-backed incumbent.
The tiny ex-Soviet nation votes under the watchful eye of Russia, which wants polarised Moldova to remain in its sphere of influence as several Kremlin-aligned governments are rocked by political unrest.
In the first round vote earlier this month, pro-European Maia Sandu — a 48-year-old center-right politician — won a surprise victory.
Sandu, who worked for the World Bank and briefly served as prime minister, won over 36 percent of the vote against pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon's 33 percent.
Caught off guard by the electoral setback, Dodon urged his supporters at a rally on Friday to turn out for the vote and take to the streets after Sunday's ballot to "protect our victory."
The Kremlin-backed candidate, reportedly aided by Russian advisors, has stepped up rhetoric against Sandu saying his opponents have crossed red lines.
"If we show weakness, we will lose our country," Dodon said at Friday's rally.