ANKARA (Andalou Agency) — The Turkish defence minister on Friday announced the completion of the construction of the Turkish-Russian joint monitoring centre in Upper Karabakh, saying it will become operational as of tomorrow.

Minister Hulusi Akar told Anadolu Agency that he has discussed matters of defence and security with his Azeri counterpart Zakir Hasanov over the phone.

Akar recalled a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint centre to monitor the peace deal on Azerbaijani territories took from Armenia was signed with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu on November 11 2020. In this joint center, one general and 38 of Turkish staff are to operate.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as an Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade-long occupation.

Despite the Nov. 10 deal ending the conflict, the Armenian army several times violated the agreement and martyred several Azerbaijani soldiers and a civilian, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing in line with the agreement.