India and Pakistan agreed to abide by a 15-year-old ceasefire agreement after years of sporadic firing across the disputed border in Kashmir, a move which signals a potential thawing in deteriorating relations between the arch-rivals, Bloomberg reported.

The nuclear-armed nations agreed to put an end to ongoing border fighting and to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003, India and Pakistan’s armed forces said in statements late Tuesday. Pakistan’s director general of military operations phoned his Indian counterpart at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Indian statement.

“This is a significant breakthrough given the mounting tensions between two countries,” said Naeem Ahmed, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Karachi. “They at least have realized the gravity of the situation.”