A cease-fire ending the violence in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region was agreed in Moscow on Tuesday, the RBC news agency reported Wednesday, citing the Novosti Armenia news website.
Violence broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh over the weekend, leaving 33 dead, with an estimated 200 people injured.
A cease-fire agreement was reached between Armenian and Azeri military chiefs of staff in Moscow on Tuesday, according to Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to both Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the telephone on Tuesday evening, reportedly expressing concern over the surge of violence in the region and urged both parties to adhere to the cease-fire agreement.
Both sides accused each other of violating cease-fire agreements early on Wednesday through the use of heavy machine guns and artillery, RBC reported. However, Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Eduard Sharmazanov, said that the line of conflict has subsequently maintained a relative silence.
The conflict began when the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region announced its independence from Azerbaijan in February 1988. In September 1991, the disputed region declared itself the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and, over the course of the enduring conflict, Azerbaijan subsequently lost control of the region.
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