12 YEARS SINCE SIGNING OF AZERI-ARMENIAN CEASEFIRE

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 14 2006

Baku, May 12, AssA-Irada
12 years have passed since Azerbaijan and Armenia signed ceasefire
on the conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.

With the signing of the Bishkek protocol in 1994, the two countries
reached a ceasefire accord after large-scale hostilities that were
launched by Armenia without a declaration. Nonetheless, only Azerbaijan
has honored the agreement over the past years, while Armenia has been
regularly breaching ceasefire on the frontline.

In January-March 2006 alone, Armenian armed forces subjected Azeri
positions to shooting 75 times, killing and wounding military men
and civilians.

Upper Garabagh, which is internationally recognized as part of
Azerbaijan, has both Azeri and ethnic Armenian population. It
was occupied by Armenia in early 1990s, along with seven other
Azerbaijani districts, after hostilities that killed up to 30,000
people and forced about a million Azeris out of their homes. Despite
the ceasefire accord, peace talks have been fruitless so far and
refugees remain stranded.