Nikol Pashinyan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan did not take part in drafting a ceasefire agreement between the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan that was announced on September 20.
“Armenia did not participate in drafting the text of the ceasefire declaration in Nagorno-Karabakh under the mediation of Russian peacekeepers,” Pashinyan said during an address to the nation, reiterating that Yerevan “does not have an army” in the region.
Pashinyan confirmed, however, that Yerevan had accepted the decision of the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities to cease and disband the armed forces.
Earlier, the InfoCenter of Nagorno-Karabakh said in a statement that despite the regional forces’ best efforts to repel a “large-scale offensive” by Azerbaijan, “the enemy managed to break into the military positions… [and] take control of a number of heights and strategic road junctions.”
Taking this into consideration, Nagorno-Karabakh “accepted the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping mission regarding the cessation of fire,” the statement read. “The ceasefire agreement enters into force starting from 13:00 on September 20, 2023,” it added.
From its side, the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense said that the Armenian military and “illegal Armenian armed groups” will lay down their arms and leave their combat positions while surrendering all weapons under the agreement.
“The implementation of this process will be ensured in coordination with the Russian peacekeeping contingent,” the ministry noted in a statement. .
The Azerbaijani Presidency said that a meeting will be held in Yevlakh with representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21 to discuss issues of reintegration based on the Constitution and laws of the country.
The ceasefire agreement came less than 24 hours after Baku said it had launched a “counter-terrorism measures of a local nature” in Nagorno-Karabakh while accusing Armenia of amassing troops there. Yerevan had denied the Azerbaijani allegations.
According to the Armenpress news agency, Azerbaijani attacks on the predominantly ethnic Armenian region killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 200 others.
If implemented, the ceasefire agreement will mark the end of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh which began in 1988. This will likely lead to permanent peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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