A Ceasefire Order Issued to the Units of the Artsakh Defense Army

As of 12:00 today, a ceasefire, declared for humanitarian purposes, is set to take effect along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line for the exchange of prisoners of war and other detained individuals, as well as the exchange of the bodies of the deceased.

"A ceasefire order has been issued to the units of the Artsakh Defense Army," wrote the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, Shushan Stepanyan.

It is noteworthy that an agreement on the cessation of hostilities was reached during negotiations in Moscow that lasted for more than 11 hours; however, as of this moment, Azerbaijan continues provocations at the border.

Stepanyan informed that the Azerbaijani armed forces have now commenced aerial assaults, employing a large number of drones extensively. They are attempting to gain an advantage prior to the humanitarian ceasefire.

After more than 11 hours of consultative negotiations overnight in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes.

Lavrov presented a joint statement from the foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which stated, in response to the message from the President of the Russian Federation, V.V. Putin, and the agreements reached by the President of the Russian Federation, V.V. Putin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, N.V. Pashinyan, and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I.H. Aliyev:

1. As of 12:00 on October 10, 2020, a ceasefire is declared for humanitarian purposes for the exchange of prisoners of war and other detained individuals, as well as the bodies of the deceased, mediated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and in accordance with its standards.
2. The specific parameters of the ceasefire will be agreed upon additionally.
3. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the mediation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, will undertake substantive negotiations based on the fundamental principles of resolution to achieve a timely peaceful settlement.
4. The parties reaffirm the unchanged format of the negotiation process.