PanARMENIAN.Net - The truce agreement signed between Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan on May 12, 1994 continues to remain the legal basis for preserving the ceasefire, the Foreign Ministry of Karabakh said in a Statement on Monday, May 13.
"25 years ago, the trilateral Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities, signed by Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of Russia, entered into force. On 26-27 July 1994, having signed an additional agreement, all the three parties confirmed the termless character of the cease-fire regime until a final settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict," the statement reads.
"The Agreement of May 12, 1994 is of key importance, as it put an end to the war unleashed by the Azerbaijani authorities, transferred the conflict to the political-diplomatic track and created conditions for the parties to focus their efforts directly on finding ways for the final settlement of the conflict through negotiations, with the support of the international mediators.
"The signing of this Agreement, which remains so far the only real achievement in the conflict settlement process, was made possible due to some factors. First, the Artsakh Defense Army managed to repel the armed aggression of Azerbaijan, to seriously undermine the military potential of Baku and to force it to negotiate. Second, facing considerable military defeats, the leadership of Azerbaijan not only ceased to hinder the full-fledged involvement of Artsakh in the negotiation process as one of the main parties to the conflict, but had also repeatedly initiated direct contacts with official Stepanakert, including at the top level. Thanks to these contacts, about ten agreements were reached on limitation of hostilities, temporary ceasefire or its expansion, which ultimately led to the signing of the termless Agreement on the full cessation of fire and hostilities.
"Today, 25 years later, the Agreement of May 12, 1994 continues to remain the legal basis for preserving the cease-fire regime and maintaining regional peace and security in the South Caucasus. This fact is unconditionally recognized by the international community, as evidenced by the reaction to the April war of 2016 unleashed by Azerbaijan of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states - Russia, the United States and France, as well as the UN Secretary General, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the Secretary General of the Counc...
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