Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on ceasefire in KarabakhOctober 10, 2020 - 10:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, starting from midday on Saturday, October 10. The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Foreign Ministers – Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Jeyhun Bayramov and Sergey Lavrov – held consultations on Friday. According to a statement from the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the sides agreed on the steps below: 1. To declare a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes starting from 12 p.m. on October 10 for the exchange of the prisoners of war, other people detained and bodies of those killed, with the mediation and in accordance with the criteria of the International Committee of the Red Cross. 2. Further parameters of the ceasefire will be agreed upon additionally. 3. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, on the basis of the fundamental principles of the settlement, are launching substantive negotiations with the aim of achieving early peaceful resolution. 4. The sides reiterate the inalterability of the format of the peace process. Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages, as well as the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |