Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


US, France, Russia Call for Nagorno-Karabakh Cease-Fire

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - The leaders of the United States, France and Russia Thursday
   called for an immediate cease-fire amid the conflict between ethnic
   Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
   Intense fighting has killed dozens in the turbulent South Caucasus
   region over the past few days alone.
   "We mourn those lost and express our condolences to the families of the
   dead and injured," read a [1]statement from President Donald Trump,
   French leader Emmanuel Macron and Russia's Vladimir Putin, first issued
   on the Kremlin's official website Thursday.
   "We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the relevant
   military forces," read the statement.
   "We also call on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit
   without delay to resuming substantive negotiations ... in good faith
   and without preconditions," said the leaders.
   With the diplomatic communique, the U.S., France, and Russia resumed
   their roles as co-chairs of an Organization for Security and
   Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) peace effort that dates to the beginnings
   of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s.
   Their joint appeal also comes amid growing concerns that Turkey--a
   traditional ally of Azerbaijan and NATO member that Armenians blame for
   a genocide of their people over a century earlier--could trigger a
   wider regional conflict.

References

   1. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/64133

.