France, US and Russia to meet in Geneva as Nagorno-Karabak conflict flares

France, the United States and Russia will meet in Geneva on October 8 to initiate co-operative efforts for a ceasefire in the  Nagorno-Karabakh region where Azeri and Armenian armed forces engaged in deadly military conflict. The armed conflict, started last week in the South Caucasus, continues to flare with mountain damages to human lives and property. According to state-run broadcaster Kyiv Post, the three nations have sought to intensify the diplomatic efforts to bring the troops of Armenia and Azerbaijan to end the confrontations that have left hundreds of civilians, and 220 soldiers dead in the warring sides in one of the deadliest escalations since 1994. 

The decision was made after NATO-member Turkey declared readiness to involve in the fight swelling up into a full-fledged war, lending its support to Baku’s military in the conflict. Turkey, that has over the years supplied ammunition and trained Azerbaijani defence officers under “two states, one nation,” recently commenced military exercises.

The United States, France and Russia will urge the two nations to end the military action, worst in 25 years, and to negotiate for the long-stalled peace. The countries, worried about the threat to civilians’ lives, will appeal the military of the two nations to dismiss the hostilities under Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group before it escalated into a clash of worsening civilian casualties. The conflicts between the two nations escalated to heavy artillery, warplanes, and Armenian forces until recently launching missiles to target a strategic pipeline that transported Azerbaijan’s oil in the Caspian Sea. 

Read: Armenian PM Appeals To World Leaders To Recognise Nagorno-Karabakh's Independence

Read: Azerbaijan Claims Armenia Targeted Key Pipeline

In a joint statement earlier, Heads of State of the three Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Armenian and Azeri forces for an immediate disengagement as the death toll in the conflict-ridden Caucasus soared to 360. As of October 7, 320 military personnel, 28 Azeri civilians, and 19 civilians in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh have succumbed to war-related injuries, according to statements issued by the defence ministries. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a presser asked the troops to halt military shelling and come on table for mutual concessions while speaking at an annual GLOBSEC forum in Slovakia.

Putin speaks to Aliyev, Pashinyan

Meanwhile, taking its firm stance in the conflict, Russia’s presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) did not apply on Karabakh region when asked to send troops to address the aggression against Armenian forces. This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, insisting that Russia would fulfil treaty obligations, however, conflict wasn’t on Armenian territory but Azerbaijan. In a further escalation of the fight, Russia and France condemned arrival of Syrian 'jihadists' to bolster Azeri military Enroute Turkey, that could further destabilise the region, sources of Russian news agency Tass confirmed. Nagorno-Karabakh is situated inside Azerbaijan but the region has been under the control of Armenian forces for more than a quarter-century.

[An Armenian soldier fires an artillery piece during fighting with Azerbaijan's forces in self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. Credit: AP]

[Firefighters work as the building of a residential area burns after night shelling in Stepanakert, the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. Credit: AP]

[Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, attends a meeting with army commanders in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: AP]

[An Armenian serviceman fires a cannon towards Azerbaijan positions in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabak. Credit: AP]

[Damages are seen inside an apartment in a residential area after shelling during a military conflict in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: AP]

[Unmanned aerial vehicle flies over a site where Azerbaijan's forces attack the Armenian army's artillery gun during fighting in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: AP]

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(Image Credit: AP)