BAKU, September 19. /TASS/. Baku is ready to meet with representatives of the Armenian population on Nagorno-Karabakh in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh, the administration of the Azerbaijani president said on Tuesday.

"Following the call by the illegitimate regime, which was set up and is still supported by Armenian in Azerbaijan’s territory, for the ‘beginning of talks,’ <…> the administration of the Azerbaijani president expresses the readiness to meet in Yvlakh with representatives of the Armenian population living in the Karabakh region of our country," it said.

At the same time, Baku said that it will not stop the anti-terrorist operations unless Armenian units in Karabakh surrender arms. "In order to stop the anti-terrorist activities, Armenian armed units must hoist the white flag, surrender arms and the illegitimate regime must dissolve itself. Otherwise, the counter-terrorist operation will be continued to the end," it stressed.

On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, said there were no Armenian forces in Karabakh, calling what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Residents of the Armenian capital took to the streets to protest outside the Armenian government building, blaming the country’s leadership and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the situation.