Russian Foreign Ministry: Lavrov and Kerry welcome ceasefire in Karabakh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry have welcomed the agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone during a telephone conversation.

It is reported that the foreign ministers agreed to contribute to the normalization of the situation in the South Caucasus.

Recall, on the night of April 2 all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, densely populated by civilians, were shelled.

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% 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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.