Countries strengthen efforts to reduce Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions
(VOVWORLD) -Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed tensions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in a telephone call with the Armenian Prime Minister. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that President Putin is working to de-escalate tensions there and these efforts will continue.
 Azerbaijani soldiers move through the town of Lachin, near the border with Armenia on December 1, 2020. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev to respect the ceasefire with Armenia after fresh border clashes.
During a phone call, Macron told President Aliyev that it is urgent to end hostilities and respect the ceasefire, expressed great concern about the new clashes, and insisted on the importance of stepping up negotiations between the two countries.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called for a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan after fresh border clashes left dozens dead. He said it is imperative that the hostilities stop and that there is a return to the negotiating table, adding that a special EU envoy is being rushed to the region.
The Armenian parliament called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and urged the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to take urgent steps to de-escalate the current situation.
Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared up again Monday night, with both sides reporting intense artillery shelling and nearly 100 dead. The fighting took place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a ceasefire, starting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, but compliance lasted only a few minutes.