India calls for immediate ceasefire, peace at border as Azerbaijan-Armenia fight rages

Amid intense fighting between forces from Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, India on Thursday called for the need to cease hostilities immediately and restore peace at the border.

India is concerned over the situation which threatens regional peace and security, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "We reiterate the need for the sides to cease hostilities immediately, keep restraint, and take all possible steps to maintain peace at the border. India believes that any lasting resolution of the conflict can only be achieved peacefully through diplomatic negotiations," the MEA said.

New Delhi also expressed support to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group’s continued efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The two former Soviet states are in an armed stand-off for years over the Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, and heavy clashes re-erupted on September 27, prompting fears of an all-out war. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan but it remains disputed because the region is controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Azerbaijan has declared martial law in border areas and Armenia has declared it across the country and mobilised its male population after the situation escalated in the disputed region. Armenia has even accused Turkey of meddling in the conflict by sending thousands of mercenaries from Syria, a claim swiftly rejected by Ankara.

The conflict broke away in the early 1990s with tens of thousands dying in the armed clashes and a Russian-brokered ceasefire, the Bishkek Protocol, was signed in 1994. However, the Bishkek Protocol has failed to turn into a tangible peace process since both sides have continued violating the ceasefire on numerous occasion and the latest clash could further escalate the tensions. A possible war could severely impact the international markets because Nagorno-Karabakh serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines from the Caspian Sea to world markets.

READ | Armenia Accuses Turkey Of Downing Its Warplane, The Latter Denies Allegations

READ | Azerbaijan, Armenia No Closer To Ending Clashes After 4 Days

Putin, Macron call for immediate ceasefire

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron also called for an immediate ceasefire between ethnic Armenian forces and Azerbaijan. The official death toll in the bloody armed conflict passed 100 and the warring parties said that they would continue fighting.

Kremlin said in a statement that the “sharp aggravation” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was thoroughly discussed and the leaders expressed “serious concern” over the ongoing large-scale hostilities. The duo noted that there is no alternative to political and diplomatic process to resolve the crisis, expressing their readiness to make a statement on behalf of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the United States.

“Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron called on the warring sides to halt fire completely and as soon as possible, de-escalate tensions and show maximum restraint,” Kremlin said.

READ | Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: Decades-long Territorial Dispute And Impact On World Markets

READ | Azerbaijan Claims 2,300 Armenian Troops Neutralized In Nagorno-Karabakh Region