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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Political dialogue on Karabakh conflict cannot be postponed — Russian top diplomat

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh

MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. It would be wrong to delay the renewal of negotiation process between the sides of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on Monday.

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Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement not fully adhered to, says Lavrov

"[During the talks we] also exchanged opinions on how to move forward. This doesn’t mean that all issues will be resolved quickly and simultaneously. We understand that the process is needed but we consider it wrong to draw out the negotiation process," he said.

The top diplomat added that his Armenian counterpart informed him of his intent to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh at a meeting with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (France, US and Russia) on Monday.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July. Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them civilians.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992 under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs - Russia, France and the United States.

At the talks, mediated by Russia and held in Moscow on October 9, Azerbaijan and Armenia had agreed on a ceasefire. It came into effect at 12.00 local time on Saturday, October 10 for humanitarian reasons, in order to trade detainees and recover the bodies of those killed in fighting. However both sides accuse each other of violating the agreements.

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