Azerbaijan’s president described a deal reached early Tuesday to halt fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region as the defeat of Armenia. In a televised address, Ilham Aliyev announced the end of the Karabakh conflict between Baku and Yerevan with the new agreement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the signing of the deal by Azerbaijan and Armenia earlier in the day.
Aliyev said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the agreement due to Baku’s “iron fist,” not Yerevan’s own will. He said the liberation of around 300 settlements since Sept. 27 in the region has weakened the Armenian army.
Read more: A timeline of fighting in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
Aliyev said Agdam District will be delivered to Baku as of Nov. 20 while Kalbajar will be returned by Nov. 15 and Lachin by Dec. 1.
The Azerbaijani president said Russia will deploy 1,960 soldiers and 90 armored vehicles of its peacekeeping forces on the Nagorno-Karabakh contact line and in the Lachin Corridor. He also announced a Turkish and Russia joint peacekeeping mission in Karabakh.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics over Upper Karabakh have remained tense since 1991, but fresh clashes broke out on Sept. 27.
YEREVAN/BAKU, Nov 10 (Reuters)-Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he has signed a deal with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Russia to end the military conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region on Tuesday morning after more than a month of bloodshedhttps://t.co/ydnJ1PmgbI
— Vincent Lee (@Rover829) November 9, 2020
Since then, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fire agreements. In total, about 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory has been under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.
Armenian PM said hard decision to sign deal
Armenia’s prime minister said Tuesday it was “a very hard decision” to sign a deal to end the conflict in the Upper Karabakh region, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a statement on social media, Nikol Pashinyan said the decision was made after a deep analysis of the military situation and assessment by people with knowledge.
Read more: Azerbaijan captures Karabakh town of Shusha
Armenia erupted in protests after Pashinyan admitted defeat by signing the deal with Azerbaijan and Russia to halt the fighting over Upper Karabakh.
Protesters gathered in front of a government building in the capital Yerevan and broke windows and chanted slogans against Pashinyan.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk