12 May 2005, 14:32
Fragile peace aged 11
A ceasefire was established in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area on 12 May 1994, based on a so-called Bishkek Protocol signed on 5 May 1994 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, a Regnum correspondent in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, reminds. The protocol provided for a ceasefire from 12.00 pm on 8 May in accordance with another protocol signed on 18 February 1994 in Moscow with Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev's mediation. In May 1994, the defence ministers Serzhik Sarkisian of Armenia (on 10 May) and Mamedraffi Mamedov of Azerbaijan (on 9 May), as well as Samvel Babayan, Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army, sent a letter with a joint original text to the leaderships of the Russian Defence Ministry and Foreign Ministry in which they said the parties to the conflict were ready to cease fire on the night of 11 May. After a technical finalisation the ceasefire was established on 12 May.
The ceasefire has since prevented a major conflict, but it has been repeatedly violated and many aggressive statements have been made. While casualties continue from time to time, the peace process makes rather slow progress, if any.
