Russian, Turkish FMs discuss situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation during which they discussed the situation in the the conflict-ridden Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone developing after the trilateral talks in Moscow on October 9-10," Xinhua news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Sunday.

The need was noted for the strict implementation of all provisions of the joint statement of Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian foreign ministers on October 10, it said.

Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's readiness to continue active mediation efforts aimed at achieving a settlement in the disputed region, taking into account the provisions of the Moscow statement, the statement added.

The development came two days day after a ceasefire was enforced in the region following trilateral negotiations between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia that lasted for over two hours in Moscow.

But on Sunday, Azerbaijan, which is openly backed by Turkey, accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire by attacking its second largest city of Ganja and inflicting civilian casualties.

However, the Armenian Defence Ministry denied the allegation, saying that it was false information.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state with an Armenian ethnic majority.

The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, April 2016 and this July.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts.

In the latest conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have confirmed that 201 of their personnel and a number of civilians have died.

Azerbaijan has said that 22 civilians were killed, but did not provide information about military casualties.

Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over the region in 1988-94, eventually declaring a ceasefire. However, a settlement was never reached.

The current fighting is the worst seen since the ceasefire and the two former Soviet republics have been blaming each other.