German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach an immediate ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.

Merkel has discussed the recent flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the phone.

According to a statement posted on the German government website, the Chancellor has cited the OSCE Minsk Group as offering an appropriate format for negotiations.

Azerbaijan launched a major 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.