said spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev as he responded to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement on ceasefire.

He said that it was Azerbaijan that suspended the counter-attacks and announced unilateral retaliatory measures. “Despite the peaceful intention and goodwill of the Azerbaijani side, the Armenian armed forces target civilians and civilian settlements and continue shelling on the positions of the Azerbaijani army along the troops` line of contact.”

The spokesperson expressed Azerbaijan's readiness for a ceasefire. "However, the Armenian armed forces must withdraw from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in compliance with the known resolutions of the UN Security Council, and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty must be ensured within its internationally recognized borders," he said.