Following the recent escalation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a ceasefire will begin from midnight on Sunday.

The OSCE Minsk Group, which includes Russia, France and the United States, is behind the negotiations.  

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday night called on the parties involved to respect the ceasefire, which can be read in a press release from Macron's staff:

"This ceasefire must be unconditional and strictly followed by both parties.

France will pay close attention to this and will continue to be committed so that hostilities cease permanently and serious discussions can be launched quickly ".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who took part in the ceasefire talks last week, spoke with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts over the phone on Saturday and also stressed that the ceasefire must be respected, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, according to France 24.

Nagorno-Karabakh: "We are ready"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh announces in a statement that it welcomes a ceasefire:

"Nagorno-Karabakh reaffirms its readiness to maintain a humanitarian ceasefire on a reciprocal basis."

Earlier on Saturday, the Azerbaijani prosecutor's office accused Armenia of being behind a missile attack on the city of Ganja that killed thirteen civilians and injured another 40 people early on Saturday morning.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense denied the allegations and instead accused Azerbaijan of shelling populated areas around Nagorno-Karabakh, including Stepanakert, the region's largest city.

The Turkish Council, an international organization made up of some of the Turkish-speaking countries, has condemned the attack on Ganja and called the action a war crime.