Presidents Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Emmanuelle Macron of Russia, the United States and France, as heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, adopted a statement on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The leaders stressed that they "condemn in the strongest possible ways the escalation of violence taking place on the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. They called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities between the armed forces of the parties involved".
"We also call on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately commit themselves in good faith and without preconditions to resume negotiations on the substance of the settlement with the assistance of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs," the leaders' statement reads.
The heads of states expressed their grief for the dead and condolences to the families of the killed and wounded in the fighting.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, with active fighting taking place on the disputed territory. Martial law has been introduced in Azerbaijan and Armenia, and mobilization has been announced. Both sides have reported killed and wounded, including civilians. Baku announced that it took control of several Karabakh villages and strategic heights. Yerevan refutes those reports and reports shelling of Armenian territory, among other things.
Baku and Yerevan have been contesting Nagorno-Karabakh's ownership since February 1988, when the region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan SSR. During the 1992-1994 armed conflict, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS