US, Russia, France condemn fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

The US, Russia and France called for a ceasefire between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces. Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, said the three Minsk Group powers should have no role in eventual peace talks.

Oct. 1, 2020

The presidents of the United States, Russia and France jointly called for a ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh in a joint statement released on Thursday.

The trio of countries condemned the recent escalation of violence and appealed for peace in the disputed mountainous enclave.

Over 100 people, including civilians, have died and hundreds more have been wounded, including two French journalists, since fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces erupted on Sunday. It is the biggest eruption in a decades-old conflict between the former Soviet republics over the area since a 1994 ceasefire.

The US, Russia and France co-chair the Minsk Group, set up in 1992 by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is run by ethnic Armenian inhabitants.

Read more at https://www.dw.com/en/us-russia-france-condemn-fighting-in-nagorno-karabakh/a-55124944