On May 12, 1994 the Bishkek Protocol on ceasefire on the conflict zone was put into action. By that time the Armenian Army had liberated Shushi, the Lacin Corridor and established a safe haven of seven regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian Army's advance became a serious threat for Azerbaijan and soon Shaumyan and Getashen were liberated. This is the reason why the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, to avoid more losses, made an appeal to the RF President Boris Eltsin with the request to cease the war.