Putin urges Karabakh conflict sides to immediate ceasefire
President Putin called on the conflict sides to come to an immediate ceasefire and restraint, according to the Kremlin’s spokesman.
On the night of Apr. 2, all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the frontline densely populated by civilians were fired at. There are killed and wounded among the civilian population as a result of the attacks.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council`s four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.






