Foreign Ministers of Both Countries "Agree on Humanitarian Ceasefire" Statement
Russian Mediation... "Ceasefire Plan Must Be Strictly Observed"
[Asia Economy International Desk Reporter] Azerbaijan and Armenia, engaged in hostilities for three weeks, have agreed once again to a ceasefire starting at midnight on the 18th (local time).
The foreign ministries of both countries issued an identical statement on the 17th (local time), stating "Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to enter a humanitarian ceasefire from 0:00 on the 18th local time." They added, "This decision was made in accordance with the statements issued on October 1 and 5, and the Moscow statement on the 10th, by the Minsk Group co-chair countries France, Russia, and the United States."
The Minsk Group is an organization aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh regional issue that triggered the conflict. The leaders of the three co-chair countries issued statements on the 1st and 5th calling for an immediate ceasefire and resumption of dialogue. The "Moscow statement" refers to the ceasefire agreement announced after talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Moscow on the 10th, mediated by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
At that time, both countries agreed to a ceasefire starting at noon on the 10th to exchange the bodies of the deceased and prisoners. However, both sides claimed that the other violated the ceasefire agreement immediately after it took effect and continued fighting.
This renewed ceasefire agreement was achieved through Russian mediation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, after speaking with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the day, strongly urged both sides to comply with the ceasefire agreement made on the 10th.
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement after the ceasefire announcement, saying, "Both sides must strictly observe the ceasefire unconditionally," and added, "France will work to end hostilities and initiate trustworthy negotiations."
Nagorno-Karabakh, where the two countries have been fighting since the 27th of last month, is Azerbaijani territory with a majority Armenian population. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh declared itself an independent republic and announced plans to unify with Armenia, but Azerbaijan rejected this, leading to a war between the two sides from 1992 to 1994. Currently, Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, but it is a disputed region effectively controlled by Armenia.
Armenia claimed that until the previous day, Azerbaijani forces had inflicted damage including 5,959 troops, 181 drones, 16 helicopters, 21 aircraft, and 552 tanks. It also added that 36 Armenian civilians were killed and 115 injured.
Azerbaijan's civilian casualties were reported as 60 dead and about 270 injured.
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