14 years since ceasefire
14 years have passed since Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
ceasefire following a lengthy war over the mountainous region of
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
The Azerbaijani army's liberating several villages in the Horadiz settlement and the Fizuli district compelled Armenia to sign the Bishkek protocol in the Kyrgyz capital on May 12, 1994. The document was inked with Russia's mediation by the two countries as well as the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Upper Garabagh. On May 19, a permanent OSCE committee on Upper Garabagh was established to oversee its enforcement.
Under the Bishkek protocol, Armenian armed forces were to be withdrawn from the occupied territories "in a few days", while communications restored and the displaced persons returned home.
The Garabagh conflict reared up in 1988. Armenia has been occupying over 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's internationally-recognized territory since military action ended. The six-year war claimed the lives of some 20,000 Azerbaijanis and displaced about a million people.
According to informal reports, some 3,000 Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians have been killed in ceasefire violations by Armenia. The OSCE, which is brokering peace talks through its team of diplomats called the Minsk Group, conducts regular monitoring on the frontline to observe compliance with the ceasefire.
The Azerbaijani army's liberating several villages in the Horadiz settlement and the Fizuli district compelled Armenia to sign the Bishkek protocol in the Kyrgyz capital on May 12, 1994. The document was inked with Russia's mediation by the two countries as well as the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Upper Garabagh. On May 19, a permanent OSCE committee on Upper Garabagh was established to oversee its enforcement.
Under the Bishkek protocol, Armenian armed forces were to be withdrawn from the occupied territories "in a few days", while communications restored and the displaced persons returned home.
The Garabagh conflict reared up in 1988. Armenia has been occupying over 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's internationally-recognized territory since military action ended. The six-year war claimed the lives of some 20,000 Azerbaijanis and displaced about a million people.
According to informal reports, some 3,000 Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians have been killed in ceasefire violations by Armenia. The OSCE, which is brokering peace talks through its team of diplomats called the Minsk Group, conducts regular monitoring on the frontline to observe compliance with the ceasefire.
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
Subscribe
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!