Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, today in Stepanakert, met with Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov, the newly appointed commander of the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in Karabakh.

"Welcoming the newly appointed commander, I emphasized the role of the Russian peacekeeping force in the security of the people of Artsakh and ensuring stability in the region in the created military and political situation,” Harutyunyan wrote in a Facebook post.

The Russian Defense Ministry on April 26 announced the appointment of  Lentsov to replace Andrei Volkov, without providing a reason.

Harutyunyan wrote that he hopes Lentsov will take all necessary steps to reopen the Lachin Corridor very soon.

Lentsov served as an adviser to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and was deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian military’s ground forces until 2020.