Nagorno-Karabakh: ceasefire declared between Armenia and Azerbaijan

After the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Moscow, it was announced that a ceasefire had been declared in Nagorno-Karabakh. The statement came from Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who mediated the talks.

The ceasefire agreed between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be valid from 12:00 on Saturday.

Lavrov said that “a ceasefire has been declared for the exchange of prisoners and their bodies” and that negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia will begin.

The meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Moscow lasted about 10 hours.

After the meeting in Moscow, Lavrov made his “ceasefire” declaration at 03:00 in the morning.

Lavrov announced that the two countries will start negotiations for a solution.

More than 300 people lost their lives in the clashes that began in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, thousands of people were forced from their homes.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared on state television before the meeting that they gave Armenia one “last chance” to peacefully resolve their disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In his address to the nation, Aliyev said: “In any case, we will reclaim our lands. We are giving Armenia the opportunity to resolve the conflict peacefully. This is its last chance.”

The Azerbaijani president had previously stated that the fighting will not end unless the Armenian troops withdraw and that his armies will continue their operations until they capture all of Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan by the United Nations (UN) and the international community. However, Nagorno-Karabakh and its surroundings, which make up about 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, have been under Armenian occupation since the early 1990s.

The “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” was declared in the region in 1991. However, no country, including Armenia, recognized this country.

The United States, Russia and France are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, which was established in 1992 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to carry out mediation activities for a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh.