Published 18:51 IST, September 27th 2020
EU raises concern over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calls for 'immediate negotiations'
EU president Charles Michel urged a cessation to the Armenian and Azerbaijani military action “as a matter of urgency, to prevent a further escalation.”
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On September 26, the European Council president Charles Michel called for a ceasefire to the Armenian, and Azerbaijani separatists clashes and urged for an "immediate return to negotiations”.In a tweet, Michel urged a cessation to the military action “as a matter of urgency, to prevent a further escalation.” Further, he said that the Azerbaijani and the Armenian troops must return to the negotiation table “without preconditions.” Former Belgian Prime Minister agreed, saying, “hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone are of utmost importance” need to cease and all military measures needed to “urgently stop” without “further escalation”.
Reports of hostilities from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone are of most serious concern.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) September 27, 2020
Military action must stop, as a matter of urgency, to prevent a further escalation.
An immediate return to negotiations, without preconditions, is the only way forward.
Earlier on September 26, skirmishes broke out on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus between military troops. The situation escalated and the verbal war of words turned to volatile clashes between the two countries’ armed forces over claims on the Armenian breakaway region of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh. Even as the two nations reached a historic ceasefire in 1994, Azerbaijan claims sovereignty on ethnic Armenians’ territory that declared its independence from Azerbaijan in the late Society-Era. Thawing the regional stability on Sunday, the Azerbaijani and Armenian military violated the ceasefire along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact and launched full-blown out attacks at each other in the worst escalations since 2016, according to state-run agencies’ reports.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in an urgent telephonic conversation with Armenia’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, expressed “serious concern” over the two nations’ tensed border situation, Russian news agency reports confirmed. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire and talks to stabilize the region. While it remains unclear which of the two military troops initiated the conflict, The Armenian Defence Ministry issued a statement, saying, the Azerbaijan military launched an attack on civilian settlements, including the regional capital Stepanakert at 08:10 local time (04:10 GMT). Forces shot down two helicopters, three military tanks, and at least three Armenian drones when the Armenian armed forces resort to retaliation. "Azerbaijan bears full responsibility for the situation", the statement read.
Early this morning #Azerbaijan launched aggression against #NagornoKarabakh, targeting civilian population, shelling Stepanakert and surrounding areas. #Armenia strongly condemns this act. All responsibility for consequences is upon Azerbaijan military and political regime.
— Zohrab Mnatsakanyan (@ZMnatsakanyan) September 27, 2020
Military mobilization declared
Martial law and military mobilization were declared and the attacks so far claimed civilians' lives, including a woman and child. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijan military in a statement accused Armenian troops of deliberate and “targeted attacks” on Nagorno-Karabakh, and civilian villages, adding that it destroyed 12 Armenian air defence systems.
As a result of #Azerbaijan shelling a woman & a child were killed in #Martuni region of #Artsakh/Karabakh, 2 civilians are wounded.
— Artak Beglaryan (@Artak_Beglaryan) September 27, 2020
Some schools have been also targetted. There're other civilian casualties, too.
At the decision of the Government, martial law and general mobilization is being declared in the Republic of #Armenia. I call on the personnel attached to the troops to present themselves to their district commissariats.
— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) September 27, 2020
For the fatherland, for victory.
As a member of the Minsk group with the United States and Russia that intervenes to end hostilities and initiate dialogues, France foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Bon der Muhll said in a statement that it was “extremely concerned about the confrontation between two countries. According to an official statement by the European union’s External Action (EEAS), the bilateral border war, involving the use of heavy weapons that led to the loss of lives needed urgent OSCE Minsk Group interference.
Recent aggressive statements of #Azerbaijan'i leadership, large-scale joint mil excercises w/#Turkey, as well as rejection of @osce PRCiO monitoring requests clearly indicate this aggression was pre-planned and constitutes large-scale provocation against regional peace & securtiy
— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) September 27, 2020
The footage released by Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence shows drones destroying Russian-made Armenian air defence systems.
— Cemal Acar (@Acemal71) September 27, 2020
The footages are very similar to what we saw in the Turkish operations against Russian made air defence systems in Syria and Libya. pic.twitter.com/QHSgeghr5j
(Image Credit: AP)
18:51 IST, September 27th 2020