Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: US to host Armenia, Azerbaijan foreign ministers for talks

foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are reportedly scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on October 23 to intensify efforts to end armed conflict in Nagor-Karabakh. Russia has been driving mediation efforts with help of OSCE Minsk Group and Washington w seems to have stepped up its involvement in pacifying situation which has claimed hundreds of lives since fight broke out late last month.

two former Soviet states are in an armed stand-off for years over Nagor-Karabakh, a landlocked region in South Caucasus, and heavy clashes re-erupted on September 27, prompting fears of an all-out war. Russia brokered two ceasefires but two sides have continued fight and according to latest report, 43 more defence personnel have been killed in and around Nagor-Karabakh. 

Nagor-Karabakh is internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan but it remains disputed because region is controlled by ethnic Armenians. A wider conflict could severely impact international markets because Nagor-Karabakh serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines from Caspian Sea to world markets.

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OSCE Minsk Group mediation

Azerbaijan said that its foreign minister would also meet envoys of OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, France and United States. co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group h earlier released a statement, condemning continued violence in Nagor-Karabakh conflict zone. 

y expressed alarm at reports of increasing civilian casualties and said that targeting or threatening civilians is “never acceptable under any circumstances.”  co-chairs stressed that participation in escalating violence by external parties undermines efforts to achieve lasting peace in region. y reiterated ir call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and resumption of substantive negotiations, in good faith and without preconditions.

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