Baku residents take to streets to celebrate end of war

The news about the cessation of the hostilities in the Karabakh conflict zone made residents of Baku happy. They held spontaneous processions and rallies with flags of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, some of them were alarmed by the Russia's peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today, at 00:00 a.m. Moscow time the statement of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh has come into force. In particular, it deals with the deployment of Russian peacemakers along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the corridor connecting it with Armenia. At the same time, the President of Azerbaijan said that the peacekeeping mission will be carried out jointly by militaries from Russia and Turkey.

After signing the statement on the cessation of hostilities, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev appealed to the people, and his speech was broadcasted by all Azerbaijani TV channels. The President of Azerbaijan spoke about the agreements reached during the talks. Despite the curfew, many residents of Baku took to the streets to celebrate the end of the war. Activists arranged spontaneous processions and motor rallies with the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey. Motorists are honking almost continuously in the streets, and patriotic songs are being heard from shops, cars, and cafes. Participants of the processions are chanting: "Karabakh is ours" and "Karabakh is Azerbaijan", the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Pensioner Mamed Aliev says he is overwhelmed by emotions. "I already thought that I would not live to see these days. We returned Karabakh. Our people will return to their homeland. This is simply an incredible reality," the pensioner told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

However, not all Baku residents agree with the conflict settlement plan. "I am not satisfied with the fact that Russian peacekeepers are being brought into the region. This can lead to a freeze of the conflict. In any place where Russian peacekeepers stay, no conflicts have been completely resolved," said Akhmed Sadygov, a resident of Baku.

The above opinion is also shared by Baku resident Suleiman Balaev, a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). He has expressed his fears that the situation in the late 1980s and early 1990s can repeat, when the Soviet troops were brought into the region and control was alternatively transferred to one or another state body. Meanwhile, Suleiman Balaev suggests it is encouraging that "Turkey will be a sponsor of the peace process." "I think that the involvement of Ankara will balance the role of Russia," the resident of Baku said.

It should be noted that the Kremlin ruled out the presence of Turkish peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 10, 2020 at 01:59 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.