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00:00 We begin with news of a ceasefire that's gone into effect in Nagorno-Karabakh,
00:04 this after the latest round of clashes in the enclave.
00:08 Now, Russian peacekeepers reportedly brokered that agreement.
00:11 It involves Armenian separatists laying down their weapons
00:15 before reintegration talks begin on Thursday.
00:19 For more on this story, we can bring in France 24's
00:21 International Affairs Editor, Ketivan Gojistani.
00:23 Ketivan, what more do we know about this ceasefire?
00:27 Well, there's been a statement from the separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh,
00:31 and they basically explained that this was indeed mediated
00:37 by those Russian peacekeeping forces and that the agreement
00:42 was reached for, quote, a complete cessation of hostilities,
00:46 which kicked off at 1 p.m. local time.
00:49 Now, in that statement, there's also an explanation from the separatists
00:54 that they saw this as having no choice
00:59 but to seize hostilities.
01:01 That was the wording of the statement,
01:04 saying that the separatist forces had been trying to prevent
01:11 Azerbaijan from breaking through their lines, but that Azerbaijan forces
01:15 broke through the lines and seized a number of strategic road junction
01:19 while the world stood by.
01:23 So it seems, according to that statement, that the Armenian separatists
01:27 felt like there was no way out besides agreeing to that ceasefire
01:31 because they were not getting help from anyone.
01:33 They don't mention directly the Russians, but it seems directed
01:37 a little bit at the Russians.
01:39 And as you said, there are now going to be talks between the separatists
01:43 and Azerbaijan on Thursday to discuss
01:47 talks about what reintegration would mean.
01:52 And in the statement from the separatist side, it also mentions
01:56 the protection of the Armenian ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno Karabakh.
02:02 So this story, of course, developing, but at least for now,
02:05 there is an official ceasefire in place, a ceasefire in place.
02:09 And let's talk about the role of Russia, because we have said that Russian
02:12 peacekeepers help broker those talks.
02:15 And what are officials in Moscow saying about all of this?
02:19 Well, the Kremlin is reacting a little bit also to the criticism
02:24 coming from not only the separatists in Nagorno Karabakh,
02:27 but also from Armenia itself, that basically the Russians are not doing enough,
02:32 that they didn't do enough to prevent the situation from happening.
02:36 Remember that there are 2000 peacekeepers
02:39 in that region since the 2020 war.
02:43 And the Armenian side believes that the Russians did not do enough
02:48 to prevent these attacks by the by Azerbaijan, that it didn't do enough.
02:54 We heard from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Russia didn't really warn
02:59 Armenia or the Armenian separatists about the movements of the Azerbaijan troops.
03:05 And so in the statement by the separatists, you see this thing of
03:11 we were left basically on our own, but now the Russians stepping in,
03:16 mediating this ceasefire.
03:18 And this is really a sign of this switching position
03:23 for the Russians in Nagorno Karabakh and between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
03:28 For a long, long time, Russia and Armenia were extremely close.
03:32 They were strong allies.
03:34 But it seems in recent years that Russia has started to play
03:38 a sort of mediating role between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
03:42 not wanting to pick sides, really.
03:44 And this has angered the Armenians who feel that they're left
03:48 to their own devices because Russia is not intervening strongly enough.
03:52 We'll see what those talks about reintegration do
03:57 and whether the Russians have their say or push one way or another,
04:03 Azerbaijan or Armenia to sort of give in to the situation.