Maria Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking at a briefing, condemned foreign support for the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, TASS reports.
“We consider counterproductive and irresponsible any bellicose statements and actions of third parties that can provoke further escalation,” the agency quoted Zakharova as saying.
The diplomat emphasized that such an approach could provoke the destabilization of the entire Transcaucasus and have the most unpredictable consequences.
On September 29, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Ankara is ready to support Baku and fight for its interests, thereby “protecting one nation in two countries.” According to some reports, Turkey has sent several thousand Syrian mercenaries into the war zone.
The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) began on September 27. Azerbaijan reported that Armenian forces fired at its positions and settlements on the contact line and announced a counteroffensive. Armenia accused Azerbaijan of attacking Artsakh.
In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh, the majority of whose population were Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan. Baku tried to return the region by force, a war broke out. In 1994, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, with the mediation of Russia, signed a truce protocol. However, hostilities periodically resume.
