YERWAN, Armenia (AP) – Fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh region continued on Sunday, but Armenia and Azerbaijan reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of their decades-long conflict and agreed to a third attempt to establish a ceasefire four weeks later. Hostility.
The ceasefire agreement, which begins at 8:00 a.m. Monday, was announced in a joint statement by the governments of the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The implementation of the previous two Russia-brokered ceasefires, including one last week, stalled immediately after the force took over, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet on Sunday night that the U.S. has helped “intensify negotiations” since Monday, and that Armenian Foreign Minister Johrab Mantsakanian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jehun Bayramov have been “in effect since Monday.”
Pompo said the co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group, formed by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe for Russia, the US and France, medieval to the conflict, also took part in the talks, Pompeo said.
In a separate statement, the group’s co-chairs said they would meet with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Geneva on Thursday to “discuss all steps necessary to reach a peaceful settlement, reach an agreement, and begin implementation.” Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “
Nagorno-Karabakh is located in Azerbaijan but has been under the control of Armenian-backed ethnic Armenian forces since the 1994 war. The latest fighting, which began on September 27, involved heavy artillery, rockets and drones, killing hundreds in large numbers. Hostility between South Caucasus neighbors for more than a quarter of a century
Fatal clashes continue despite several attempts to stop hostilities and establish a ceasefire.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire agreement and reiterated his call for Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement it without delay and “resume permanent talks without prior notice”, UN spokesman Stephen Dujarric said.
The UN chief called on the parties to support Nagorno-Karabakh’s uncontrolled humanitarian approach and “take concrete steps towards a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Dujarric said.
According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 99 of their soldiers and 37 civilians have been killed in the clashes so far. Azerbaijani authorities have not disclosed their military losses, but say 65 civilians have been killed and 300 wounded in the fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that according to Moscow, the death toll from the fighting was close to 1,000, significantly higher than reported by both sides.
On Friday, Pompeo hosted separate talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, but the fighting proceeded unabated.
On Sunday morning, the Nagorno-Karabakh army said fighting was continuing “in all directions from the front”, and the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of targeting several Azerbaijani territories. Armenian military officials reported “intense fighting” and “heavy fighting” in the conflict zone throughout the day on Sunday evening.
The four-week war has raised concerns about the wider conflict involving Turkey, which has left its weight behind Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has signed a security agreement with Armenia.
It also worries concerned Iran, which shares borders with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran has repeatedly complained of stray mortar rounds and rockets that have injured people and damaged houses in rural areas near the border.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday it had deployed its ground forces units near the border in the conflict zone, the country’s state radio said. The head of the Guard’s ground forces, General Mohammad Pakpore, said Iran would not accept any action that “violates” the security and peace of the Iranian people in the region.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan said they were committed to a peaceful resolution and blamed each other for obstructing the peace.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that the Armenian army will have to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh to end the fighting. “A ceasefire cannot be without conditions. Conflict is possible only after the Armenian leadership announces the withdrawal of its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, “Aliyev said on Sunday.
Armenian Prime Minister Nicole Pashinyan, in turn, accused Azerbaijan of adopting a “non-constructive” approach to negotiations. “We need mutual consent to resolve this issue. “Every time Armenia wants to make any concessions … Azerbaijan comes up with new demands, new conditions,” Pashini said in an interview on Sunday.
Hours after the remarks, a new ceasefire was announced.
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, tweeted on Sunday that the president had asked him to meet with Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers at the White House on Friday and that he had spoken by phone with Pashinyan and Aliyev on Saturday.
“Congratulations to all of you for agreeing to a ceasefire today,” O’Brien said. “Pompeo and his deputy, Stephen Big, played a key role,” O’Brien said. “Life will be saved in both countries.”
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The report is by Associated Press authors Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Ada Sultanova in London, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Deb Richman in Washington, DC.
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