France, the U.S. and other countries call on Azerbaijan and Armenia to stop hostilities

After a fierce battle broke out between Azerbaijan and the Armenian separatist forces in the disputed area Nagorno Karabakh on September 27, Prime Minister Pasinyan of the neighboring Republic of Armenia stated that the old enemy Azerbaijan has declared war on the Armenian people. French President Macron also called on the Azerbaijani and Armenian separatists to immediately stop fighting and resume dialogue. Macron spoke on the phone with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan on Sunday. The United States calls on both sides to immediately cease hostilities.

France, Russia, and the United States, as members of the Minsk Group, used to coordinate the peace issues in the Nagono Karabakh region, but the last effort to push for a peace agreement failed in 2010.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that France with Russia and the US partners reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a negotiated and lasting solution to this conflict. The statement also pointed out that France is extremely worried about the outbreak of large-scale conflict.

Agence France-Presse reported that Nikol Pashinyan stated in a televised statement that Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime has once again declared war on the Armenian people and that we are on the brink of a full-scale war in the South Caucasus and may have unpredictable consequences.

The National Assembly of Azerbaijan also approved the implementation of martial law throughout the country and imposed a curfew on the 27th. The Nagorny Karabakh area where fighting broke out on the 27th is in Azerbaijan, but it is controlled by the Armenian separatist forces and has established its own government. Both parties reported casualties after the conflict, and the Republic of Armenia also declared martial law and mobilized male soldiers.

The Ministry of National Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh region stated that they destroyed 4 helicopters, 15 drones and 10 combat vehicles in Azerbaijan, but also killed 16 soldiers and injured more than 100 others.

The Azerbaijani side said that during the fierce fighting, they captured 6 villages controlled by the Armenians, 5 of which were located in Fizuli district and 1 was located in Jebrail district.

After the incident, Catholic Pope Francis (Pope Francis) called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their differences through negotiation.

The Pope said, I pray for peace in Caucasus. I ask all parties to the conflict to express goodwill and friendship, so that the problem can be resolved. Do not use force or weapons, but through dialogue and negotiation.”=

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also tweeted The imperative of the moment is that military operations must stop to avoid further escalation. He also called on the warring parties to return to negotiations immediately without setting any preconditions.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a statement saying: I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all fighting, especially the shelling of villages and towns.” He also mentioned that the news of civilian casualties was worry some.

According to Iran’s state-run television station, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also said on the 27th, Iran is watching this conflict closely and calling on the two countries (Azerbaijan and Armenia) to immediately stop the conflict and start negotiations.

The Tehran government is ready to use all its capabilities to help the two parties begin negotiations.

However, Turkey vowed on the 27th to fully support the Azerbaijani government and demand that Armenia give up its aggression. Turkey is an important ally of Azerbaijan and is closely connected with each other in culture and language.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stated in a statement, We will do everything possible to support our Azerbaijani brothers in fighting and defend their territorial integrity.

Armenian Prime Minister Pasinyan called on the international community to ensure that Turkey will not interfere in this conflict.