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Ceasefire: A man walks through the ruins of his home in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region after a bomb attack. Now an agreement has been reached on a ceasefire in the conflict. Photo: AP Photo / NTB.
Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire in the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Saturday, the Russian foreign minister said.
The ceasefire will take effect at 12 noon on Saturday. According to a statement from the parties, the ceasefire will allow the exchange of deaths and prisoners of war, and will lay the foundations for a lasting peace.
The foreign ministers of the two countries met for peace talks in Moscow on Friday and Saturday night.
The talks have been led by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has stated that a ceasefire has been agreed. The ceasefire takes effect at midnight on Sunday local time.
According to Lavrov, the parties have also pledged to engage in comprehensive diplomatic negotiations to avoid further hostilities.
In this photo, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov (left), Russian Sergei Lavrov and Armenian Zohab Mnatsakanyan are sitting around the negotiating table in Moscow. Photo: AP / NTB
Outbreak of fights
The talks in Moscow are the first at a high level after fierce fighting broke out almost two weeks ago between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatists.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said before the Moscow meeting that this was Armenia’s last chance to avoid war.
The conflict between the two countries has turned into acts of war in recent weeks. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but in practice the area is an autonomous republic with broad Armenian support.
Great powers involved
Several great powers have been involved in the conflict in various ways. Russia has good relations with the two former Soviet republics, but works more closely with Armenia, where the country has a military base.
Armenia has also signed a defense alliance with Russia and several other former Soviet republics.
NATO country Turkey, which is Azerbaijan’s main supporter, has sent military advisers and is also accused of arms support. Hundreds of Syrian rebels are also said to have reached Nagorno-Karabakh with Turkish help, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.
