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04Apr16

Lavrov, Kerry urge immediate cease-fire in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in the disputed mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and urged immediate cessation of hostilities on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The statement came at a time when deadly clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have entered into a third day, despite international calls for a halt in the fighting over the disputed territory.

In a phone conversation, the two sides agreed to intensity the efforts of Russia, the United States and France, as co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group, to assist in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the ministry said in an online statement.

They also condemned attempts of some "external players" to fuel up the confrontation in the region, the ministry added.

Azerbaijan unilaterally declared a cease-fire on Sunday, but crossfire resumed later. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Monday that the country's armed forces have destroyed an Armenian command and staff point.

Earlier in the day, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovannisian said the Azerbaijani troops, unable to break the resistance of the Armenian side, attempted to use heavy military vehicles, combat aircraft, including heavy flamethrower system and unmanned aerial vehicle.

Hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region erupted overnight Saturday with the two countries blaming each other for triggering the escalation.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has governed its own affairs with military and financial support from Armenia since a separatist war sputtered to a stop in 1994.

[Source: Xinhua, Moscow and Baku, 04Apr16]
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