Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accepted a ceasefire proposal made by Russian peacekeepers Wednesday, a day after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the disputed territory.
Azerbaijan announced on Tuesday beginning what it called an “anti-terrorist” campaign against “separatist forces” in Nagorno-Karabakh, which Karabakh officials said killed dozens and wounded hundreds more.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region that lies within Azerbaijan’s borders. It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is home to around 120,000 ethnic Armenians, who make up the majority of its population and reject Azerbaijan’s rule. The region has its own de-facto government which is backed by Armenia, but it is not officially recognized by Armenia or any other country.
The ceasefire was due to begin at 1 p.m. local time Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh’s presidential office announced.
Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said it had agreed to suspend its operation, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Azerbaijan said officials would meet representatives of the Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh, “to discuss reintegration issues under the constitution and laws of Azerbaijan.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that his country accepted the ceasefire and that the Armenian forces will commit to its stipulations
“In the current situation, the international community’s actions in the direction of ending the war and resolving the situation are insufficient. Taking this into consideration, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s command regarding a ceasefire,” the Nagorno-Karabakh Presidential Office said, according to Armenpress.
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