Georgian officials have welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and urge the parties to resume peace talks over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
President Salome Zurabishvili has tweeted:
I welcome the ceasefire in #NagornoKarabakh and urge the resumption of peace talks. Lasting peace and stability is the only acceptable future for our region.
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 10, 2020
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has also released a statement hoping that further negotiations will ensure the establishment of a lasting peace and security in the region.
????????welcomes ceasefire agreement,launched between????????&????????and expresses hope that the progress regarding the conflict resolution issues and peace establishment will be achieved through negotiations,therefore encouraging enhancement of security and prosperity across the entire region.
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) October 10, 2020
Hostilities between the two neighbouring countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed in late September.
Since then the Georgian officials have expressed their readiness to contribute, in any form, to the de-escalation of tension, including by facilitating a dialogue and hosting a meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani officials in Tbilisi.
However, the ceasefire agreement came after 12 hours of talks facilitated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov between the top diplomats of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the two neighbouring countries have agreed to a ceasefire and ‘substantive’ peace talks ‘aimed at ending the latest bout of fighting’ over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Although, ‘hours before the ceasefire was set to take effect’ today new fighting was reported ‘with both sides exchanging accusations that civilian areas were being purposely targeted’.