During a telephone talk with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday, Mr. Guterres expressed grave concern over the ongoing clashes along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

He urged both leaders to take immediate steps to establish a ceasefire and resume negotiations in order to prevent instability in the region.

The secretary-general reiterated his full support for the important role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairs, stressing the need to work with them to return to negotiations without delay or pre-conditions.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces reportedly continued fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone for a second day on Monday, killing at least 95 people.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds over the mountainous region since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders.