Context -

• Recently, Azerbaijan attacked the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Azerbaijan had set the condition that the ceasefire would happen only if the separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh surrender all their weapons.
• Now Azerbaijan has claimed that its forces have captured more than 60 military bases in Nagorno-Karabakh and captured the Nagorno-Karabakh area after a 24-hour clash.

 Background of the conflict between Azerbaijan-Armenia -

• The Nagorno-Karabakh region, which declared itself independent through a referendum after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, remains a bone of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• However, no country recognizes it as an independent country.
• The region is internationally part of Azerbaijan, but has been occupied by ethnic groups of Armenia since 1994.
• In the year 2020, Azerbaijan attacked Armenia. After 6 weeks of conflict, Azerbaijan won and captured a large part of this disputed area.
• Ultimately, with the mediation of Russia, a peace agreement was reached between the two countries in 2020.

Results of recent attacks -

• On September 20, 2023, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the two sides on Azerbaijan's terms through Russian peacekeepers.
• Since then, the Azerbaijani army has stopped its military operations in Armenia.
• The first meeting of both the parties regarding this agreement was held on 21 September in Yevlakh city of Azerbaijan.
• According to the agreement, Karabakh forces will be disbanded and their weapons will be confiscated.

 Exam oriented Static facts

Armenia -

• Pre-1990 - part of the Soviet Union
• Attainment of independence- 23 August 1990
• Capital-Yerevan
• Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan
• Currency: Armenian Dram (AMD) 

Azerbaijan -

• Prime Minister:Ali Asadov
• Capital: Baku
• Currency: Manat