Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ceasefire after clashes

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a temporary ceasefire after intense conflicts over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

According to the international news agency, Russia’s foreign minister announced the deal just before 03:00 Moscow time (midnight GMT), following 10 hours of talks in the Russian capital.

Sergey Lavrov said the two countries would now begin “substantive” talks.

Armenian defense ministry said that clashes continued through the day, despite negotiations being held in Moscow.

Armenia had accused Azerbaijan of deliberately shelling a historic cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan said that its second-largest city, Ganja, and the region of Goranboy had been shelled by Armenian forces, with at least one civilian killed.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke to BBC earlier this week. He warned of a “genocide” in the region, and said it was “Armenia, land of Armenians”.

UN Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Nagorno-Karabakh

Michelle Bachelet, head of the UN human rights body, expressed concern over the loss of human lives in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and urged both Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately end the two-week war.

According to the details, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said there was “grave concern” in recent days over reports of shelling and shelling of densely populated areas around the conflict.

“There is an urgent need for a ceasefire because of the impact on civilians,” she said.