Azerbaijan announced on Wednesday that it has stopped its military operation in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh after separatist Armenian forces agreed to lay down their weapons and engage in reintegration talks.
Baku and the ethnic-Armenian authorities in Karabakh stated that a ceasefire agreement had been mediated by Russian peacekeepers to halt the fighting following Azerbaijan’s launch of an “anti-terrorist operation.”
The separatists declared their commitment to completely disband their forces and withdraw Armenian army units from the area, which has been the focal point of two wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry stated that “all weapons and heavy armaments are to be surrendered” under the supervision of Russia’s 2,000-strong peacekeeping force on the ground.
Both sides confirmed that discussions regarding the reintegration of the breakaway territory into Azerbaijan will take place on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh.
The astounding collapse of separatist resistance represents a significant triumph for Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in his pursuit to regain control over Nagorno-Karabakh, an area predominantly inhabited by Armenians.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a televised address, mentioned that the fighting seemed to have mostly ceased and emphasized the importance of upholding the ceasefire.
He denied the presence of the Armenian army in the enclave and expressed his expectation that Russia’s peacekeepers would ensure the security of Karabakh’s ethnic-Armenian residents, allowing them to remain “in their homes, on their land.”
The recent outbreak of violence follows Azerbaijan’s successful recapture of substantial portions of territory in and around the region during a brief war three years ago, which inflicted a bitter defeat on Armenia.
Armenia reported that at least 32 people were killed and over 200 injured by the shelling in Karabakh, as Azerbaijan launched artillery, aircraft, and drone strikes throughout the region.
Baku asserted on Tuesday that it had gained control over more than 60 military positions during its “localized anti-terrorist measures.”
Thousands of civilians were evacuated from the conflict zone by Russian peacekeepers and separatist forces.
International Pressure
The ceasefire declaration came after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev warned that the military operation would persist until the separatists relinquished their weapons, amid mounting international pressure to end the hostilities.
Russia, the United Nations, and Pope Francis joined the calls for a cessation of violence following outreach from the United States and France to the leaders of both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The renewal of fighting occurs as Moscow, the traditional mediator in the region, is consumed by its war against Ukraine.
However, its peacekeepers on the ground seemed to have played a crucial role in facilitating negotiations for the ceasefire and will now oversee its implementation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his hope for a “peaceful” resolution in Karabakh, stating that Moscow has been in contact with all sides involved in the conflict.
Fears of a new war in the volatile South Caucasus region have escalated in recent weeks, as Armenia accused Azerbaijan of amassing troops in the disputed territory.
Azerbaijan has spent years bolstering its military forces, driven by the objective of eventually reclaiming the territory it lost to Armenian forces in the 1990s.
Turkey, a longstanding ally of mainly Muslim Azerbaijan, described the latest military operation as “justifiable” while emphasizing the need for comprehensive negotiations.
