Kremlin: Russia in contact with Turkey over Karabakh escalationSeptember 28, 2020 - 17:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow is maintaining communication with Ankara on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday, September 28, according to Ria Novosti. Peskov said Russia is calling for an immediate end to hostilities in Karabakh and switch to a political and diplomatic channel. "From the first hours of the escalation, Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov has been in contact with both colleagues from Yerevan and Baku. In addition, on the initiative of the Armenian side, Putin spoke yesterday with the Prime Minister of Armenia," Peskov said. Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, in turn, called on the parties to the conflict in Karabakh to "calm down, stop the escalation, get rid of belligerent rhetoric, otherwise a catastrophe cannot be avoided." Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |