Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on ceasefire, begin substantive negotiations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, after marathon negotiations in Moscow, said Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a ceasefire from noon Saturday and to begin “substantive talks” over Nagorno-Karabakh, news agency AFP reported.

“Azerbaijan and Armenia begin substantive negotiations with the purpose of achieving a peaceful settlement as soon as possible,” Lavrov told reporters. He added that such talks will be mediated by the Minsk Group of international negotiators.

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Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed to AFP that the ceasefire would begin from noon Saturday.

During the ceasefire — mediated by the International Committee of the Red Cross — the parties will exchange dead bodies and prisoners, Lavrov said, reading from a statement.

“Concrete parameters of the ceasefire will be agreed separately,” the statement said.

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Russia’s top diplomat also said that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to start seeking a lasting solution to the territorial dispute.