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Stepanakert: On Saturday, Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged accusations of launching new attacks, despite the entry into force of the ceasefire after it was reached after lengthy negotiations that took place in Moscow after two weeks of intense battles in the separatist region of Nagorno Karabakh.
After a morning of fighting, there was a brief silence when the ceasefire took effect, before the two sides blamed each other for the attacks.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry stated that “Armenia flagrantly violates the ceasefire and is trying to attack Fizuli Gabriel and Agdam Terter” in Nagorno Karabakh.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said that “Azerbaijani forces launched an attack at 12:05 pm, that is, after the ceasefire came into force at 12:00 (0800 GMT), denouncing the“ lies ”of Baku on the Armenian attacks.
Suddenly calm returned to Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway region, with sirens sounding before the agreement came into force.
Residents began to walk out the doors of their homes after they were forced to stay with them for days, trying to protect themselves from the shelling, according to an AFP journalist.
Negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers lasted more than ten hours and ended on Friday night and Saturday.
And the ceasefire is supposed to allow the exchange of prisoners of war and other people and corpses, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
France, which is co-chair of the Minsk Group, welcomed the ceasefire on Saturday and called for its “full respect.”
‘Substantive negotiations’
The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to initiate “substantive negotiations” to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict, with the mediation of the heads of the Minsk Group (Russia, France and the United States) of the Organization for Security and Safety. Cooperation in Europe.
The French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Agnes von der Mol, stressed “the need to resume substantive talks, without preconditions.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the ceasefire is “the first important step, but it will not replace a permanent solution.”
Ankara, an ally of Baku, added that Azerbaijan gave Armenia “the last chance to withdraw from the lands it occupies”, emphasizing that “Azerbaijan has shown Armenia and the world that it can regain its lands occupied for almost 30 years. with their own means. “
This comes with the fear of internationalizing the conflict in this region, where Russians, Turks, Iranians and the West have interests. Especially since Ankara encourages Baku to attack, while Moscow is committed to a military treaty with Yerevan.
Turkey is accused of participating in the fighting with team and team on the Azerbaijani side, which Ankara denies.
Violent clashes since September 27 between Armenian separatists in the unilaterally proclaimed “Republic of Nagorno Karabakh” backed by Yerevan and Azerbaijani forces have killed 450 people, including 23 Armenian civilians and 31 Azerbaijanis. But the toll could be much higher.
The first war in the region between 1988 and 1994 resulted in the death of thirty thousand people and caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
The front has remained frozen since then, although there have been clashes from time to time. (AFP)
