US President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a humanitarian ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh announced earlier in the day.
"Congratulations to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who just agreed to adhere to a cease fire effective at midnight," Trump tweeted. "Many lives will be saved."
The US president highlighted the role of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, and the National Security Council in brokering the deal.
"Proud of my team @SecPompeo & Steve Biegun & @WHNSC for getting the deal done!", Trump wrote.
Congratulations to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who just agreed to adhere to a cease fire effective at midnight. Many lives will be saved. Proud of my team @SecPompeo & Steve Biegun & @WHNSC for getting the deal done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2020
US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien stated earlier in the day that the White House had congratulated Armenia and Azerbaijan on reaching a new Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement.
"I met with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan & Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the White House on Friday and spoke by phone with [Armenian] Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan & [Azerbaijani] President Ilham Aliyev yesterday. Congratulations to all of them for agreeing to adhere to the cease fire today. Lives will be saved in both nations," O’Brien tweeted on Sunday.
(2 of 2) “Congratulations to all of them for agreeing to adhere to the cease fire today. Lives will be saved in both nations. @SecPompeo & Stephen Biegun played a key role. Well done.” - NSA Robert C. O’Brien
— NSC (@WHNSC) October 25, 2020
Earlier on Sunday, the governments of the United States, Armenia, and Azerbaijan announced in a joint statement that a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the conflict zone of Nagorno-Karabakh will take effect at 08:00 a.m. local time Monday.
The statement highlighted the role of Washington that "facilitated intensive negotiations" between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the co-chairs to "move Armenia and Azerbaijan closer to a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
In a separate statement on Sunday, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk, consisting of representatives from Russia, France, and the United States, following a meeting in Washington, called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to take immediate steps to implement the agreement made in Moscow on 10 October regarding the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The group said that they would meet with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva on October 29 to discuss the Karabakh conflict settlement.
The fighting on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh intensified on September 27. The sides have accused each other of initiating the conflict. The international community has strongly condemned the escalation and called on the parties to settle the differences via dialogue, while Turkey pledged its full support for Azerbaijan.
Yerevan and Baku have signed two ceasefire agreements, but both have collapsed soon after entering into force.
