UN Secretary General calls to put an immediate end to Karabakh fighting

PanARMENIAN.Net - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday, April 2 said he was deeply disturbed by the upsurge in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and called on all parties to put an immediate end to the fighting, Sputnik International reports.

"The Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by the recent reports of large-scale ceasefire violations along the line of contact in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone," the UN said in a statement.

Ban was particularly concerned by the reported use of heavy weapons and by the large numbers of casualties, including among the civilian population. He urged all sides to the conflict to take steps to deescalate the situation.

Ban also reiterated his full support for the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)’s Minsk Group and all parties working to resolve the crisis.

"There cannot be any alternatives to the negotiated solution. The [French] republic’s head, who met with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Paris in October 2014, reaffirms his commitment to a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the shortest term possible," Francois Hollande said in a statement.

He also called on all the parties involved to show restraint and observe the ceasefire strictly.

"The president of the republic deeply regrets the serious incidents in Nagorno Karabakh, near the line of contact, which claimed many lives, including among civilians," Hollande added.