The Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday evening, Saturday, that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed their countries' commitment to implementing the Moscow ceasefire agreement in the Nagorno Karabakh region, after mutual accusations between the two parties of violating the agreement.
In a statement, the ministry stated that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed in a phone call with his Azerbaijani counterparts, Zohrab Mnatsakyanian, the need to adhere to the ceasefire arrangements.
Cautious calm reigns in the Nagorno Karabakh region after the announcement of the agreement, but Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange accusations of violating it.
Al-Jazeera correspondent quoted Armenian military sources as saying that the bombing has renewed on the city of Stepanakert, the provincial capital, and the neighboring city of Shushi.
The sources added that explosions occurred in Stepanakert, while shells fell on the city of Shushi.
Baku said that Armenia should treat this calm as an opportunity to negotiate and withdraw its forces, while Yerevan considered that any talks should be the priority of protecting the Armenians in the region within the framework of an independent state.
The armistice agreement - which the two sides reached at dawn on Saturday and entered into force at noon local time - seemed relatively valid, as the city of Stepanakert witnessed a calm after violent battles that lasted for days.
Although the fighting stopped, sirens were heard warning of imminent attacks, but the neighborhoods were empty of pedestrians except for some residents who went out to get supplies.
The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan - with Russian mediation - agreed to a ceasefire in negotiations that lasted more than 10 hours and ended late Friday night.
And the humanitarian ceasefire is supposed to allow the exchange of prisoners of war and other people and dead bodies, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
On the other hand, Armenian Defense Minister David Tunoyan and Clare Metro, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Yerevan, discussed procedures for exchanging prisoners and dead bodies in Karabakh in implementation of the humanitarian ceasefire agreement.
A statement by the Armenian Ministry of Defense said that the two sides discussed the declared ceasefire for humanitarian purposes along the front with Azerbaijan, as well as the mechanism for exchanging prisoners of war, detainees and dead bodies.
Baku accuses Yerevan of occupying the territory of the territory, which has witnessed many acts of violence.
The confrontations - which broke out on 27 September between Armenians in Nagorny Karabakh and Azerbaijan - resulted in the deaths of more than 450 people, including about 50 civilians, but the real death toll from the battles may be much greater.
A senior Azeri official said that the calm is "temporary," explaining that "a humanitarian ceasefire for the exchange of bodies and prisoners of war is not a (real) ceasefire."
He stressed that Baku "does not intend to back down" from its efforts to regain control of the region.
When announcing the truce, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the two sides agreed to start "substantive negotiations" to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict with mediation by the heads of the Minsk Group (Russia, France and the United States) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry indicated yesterday, Saturday, that the ceasefire is "an important first step, but it will not replace a permanent solution."
Ankara added that Azerbaijan gave Armenia "the last chance to withdraw from the lands it occupies," stressing that "Azerbaijan has proven to Armenia and the world that it can regain its occupied lands."