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The Cease-Fire AgreementIn the early 1994, after a series of military failures along the frontline, Azerbaijan undertook a major attempt to restore its positions. Fierce fighting took place from North to South. Despite serious losses in human force and equipment, Azeri leadership rejected to abandon its opportunistic plans. However, by April 1994, the counter-offensives in different directions allowed Artsakh’s armed forces to take several strategically important heights, compelling Azerbaijan to accept the Russian-brokered armistice. On May 5, 1994 official delegates from in Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia met in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek to sign a protocol (the Bishkek Protocol), which later developed into the cease-fire agreement. A week later, defense ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Mamedraffi Mamedov, as well as the commander-in-chief of Artsakh Defense Army Samvel Babayan signed the armistice agreement, which envisaged cessation of hostilities from midnight May 12, 1994; further disengagement of NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces and establishment of a buffer zone. The agreement has no expiration date and remains in force until the final agreements will be reached.
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