Russia stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to fulfill in Moscow (Representational)
Moscow, Russia:
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to their first talks on ending the combating over Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia stated Friday, as fierce clashes over the disputed area confirmed no indicators of abating.
Russia’s overseas ministry confirmed that senior diplomats from the 2 international locations are becoming a member of talks within the Russian capital following a late-night attraction on Thursday from President Vladimir Putin.
“Baku and Yerevan have confirmed their participation,” overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova advised AFP, including that preparations had been underway.
Armenian and Azerbaijan defence officers stated fierce clashes continued in a single day Thursday to Friday and reported additional civilian deaths after Putin introduced the assembly in Moscow and appealed for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.
Preventing erupted between Armenian separatists and Azerbaijan’s military late final month over the disputed area in Azerbaijan that declared independence following a conflict within the 1990s.
Each side have dismissed mounting calls to finish the combating that has claimed some 400 lives together with dozens of civilians, and Azerbaijan has stated it’s decided to seize the majority-Armenian province.
The Kremlin stated late Thursday that following a collection of calls with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Putin was calling for an finish to hostilities in Karabakh “so as to change lifeless our bodies and prisoners”.
The 2 international locations’ overseas ministers had been invited to the Russian capital to dealer an finish to the hostilities in talks mediated by the Russian overseas ministry, the Kremlin stated.
Diplomatic efforts to discover a lasting resolution to the decades-old stalemate have faltered since a precarious ceasefire was agreed in 1994.
Mounting civilian depend
Putin’s announcement of talks in Moscow got here shortly after worldwide mediators from France, Russia and america launched their first efforts to resolve the combating in Geneva.
The international locations make up the “Minsk Group” that has sought an answer to the Karabakh battle for the reason that 1990s however have did not cease sporadic outbreaks of combating, together with essentially the most lethal clashes in a long time this month.
However the negotiations in Geneva went forward with out Armenia, which refused to take part if the combating was ongoing, and there have been no public statements following the closed-door talks.
For the reason that combating restarted either side have accused the opposite of shelling areas populated by civilians and 1000’s of individuals have been displaced by the clashes.
The executive centre of the disputed area, Stepanakert, is dotted with large craters and unexploded ordinance following days of intermittent shelling however the metropolis was calm Friday morning, an AFP journalist stated.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Thursday of shelling the long-lasting Ghazanchetsots (Holy Saviour) Cathedral leaving a gaping entire in its roof and several other journalists injured.
Armenia’s rights ombudsman Artak Beglaryan advised AFP earlier this week that the renewed combating has displaced round half of Karabakh’s 140,000 residents and compelled some 90 p.c of its girls and youngsters from their houses.
Dozens of civilians have been confirmed killed and the Armenian facet has acknowledged 350 navy deaths, whereas Azerbaijan has not admitted to any fatalities amongst its troops.
Turkey’s sturdy backing for Azerbaijan has sown fears within the West that the battle might spiral right into a full-blown conflict embroiling Ankara with Moscow, which has a navy treaty with Armenia.
Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the many world leaders to denounce the reported deployment of pro-Turkish fighters from Syria and Libya to Karabakh and Iran this week warned of “terrorists” who had joined the battle from overseas.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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