Sergey Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an end to the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. He is quoted by RIA Novosti.
He also said that after the meeting of the representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow, the hopes for a settlement did not come true, as the fighting in the region continued. The diplomat stressed that this is unacceptable.
“An absolutely necessary step is the cessation of hostilities, the cessation of strikes against civilian targets,” the minister added.
The situation in the region escalated sharply on September 27. Armenia and Azerbaijan made a decision on a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons from October 18 at 00:00 local time. At the same time, the sides accused each other of shelling and non-compliance with the ceasefire.
In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh, the majority of whose population were Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) is recognized by two partially recognized states – Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Azerbaijan tried to return the region by force, after which the war began. In 1994, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the NKR signed a truce. Military operations are resumed periodically.
