Germany Welcomes Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh - Foreign Ministry

Germany welcomes the recently reached ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov — Earlier in the day, a ceasefire came into force between the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, following five days of clashes that led to fatal casualties on both sides.

"Fortunately, ceasefire has been reached [in Nagorno-Karabakh]. We are hoping for that," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also noted that the ministry would not comment on the latest statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey supports Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and that the region would return to Azerbaijan at some point in the future.

The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988, when the Armenian-dominated autonomous region sought to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, before proclaiming independence after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. The rival sides agreed on cessation of hostilities in 1994. In September 2015, the conflict escalated, with the sides blaming each other for violating the truce.