Nagorno-Karabakh Live Updates: Azerbaijani Defence Ministry Says Fighting Continued Overnight

"The Red Cross, which is currently the only humanitarian organisation that has access to the conflict-hit region, has asked the international community to allocate 9 million euro in urgent aid. Germany … will allocate 2 million euros", Maas said at a parliament's hearing on Thursday.

The minister stressed that the winter is coming and Nagorno-Karabakh will face increasing problems with food supplies.

Maas also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to cease hostilities without any preconditions, adding that the international community should exert pressure on the warring sides to ensure a ceasefire.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia must finally understand that the military resolution to the conflict would not be accepted by the international community", the minister added.

Armenia recalled its ambassador from Israel for consultations amid the escalations of tensions in Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh as Israel is supplying Baku with weapons.

"The ambassador will remain in Yerevan for some time, he has not returned to Israel. Concerning the Armenian position on the arms deliveries to Azerbaijan, it has been repeatedly expressed: no one must arm a country that is using weapons against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which we have witnessed within the previous month", Naghdalyan said on late Thursday.

According to the spokeswoman, Armenia wants Israel to stop the arms deliveries to Azerbaijan.

(3/3) There is no military solution to this conflict. We call on all outside parties to refrain from interference and join the United States in pressing for a return to negotiations facilitated by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.” –NSA Robert C. O’Brien

— NSC (@WHNSC) October 29, 2020

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denied information about missile and air strikes on settlements in Karabakh.

Earlier in the day, the State Service for Emergency Situations of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said that the Azerbaijani military had launched a missile strike at Stepanakert, as well as air strikes at the settlements of Askeran, Mardakert and Martuni.

"The information of the Armenian media about alleged missile strikes at Khankendi [Azerbaijani name of Stepanakert] and air strikes at Askeran, Aghdere [Mardakert], and Khojavend [Martuni] by the units of the Azerbaijan Army is false. This news aims to divert the attention from the enemy's rocket-artillery shelling of Azerbaijani settlements today," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

The ministry asserts that "unlike the Armenian armed forces, the Azerbaijan Army complies with the humanitarian ceasefire regime and inflicts only adequate strikes against the enemy's firing positions."

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan is scheduled to travel to the Swiss city of Geneva to hold talks on Friday with the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire and establish a verification mechanism in Nagorno-Karabakh, Anna Naghdalyan, spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.

"The minister will travel to Geneva where he will hold a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. No other format of meeting is scheduled at this point," Naghdalyan stated.

According to the spokeswoman, Yerevan is focused on reaching a ceasefire to the conflict in the disputed region that flared up one month ago, and the implementation of a verification mechanism to uphold any agreed truce.

"Armenia focuses on the implementation of agreement on cessation of hostilities reached on October 10 and reconfirmed on October 17 and 25, in particular on cessation of hostilities and establishment of verification mechanisms," Naghdalyan remarked.

The OSCE's Minsk Group is co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United States.

The state emergency service of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday reported that the Azeri forces were striking the towns of Askeran, Martakert, and Martuni.

"At the moment, the enemy forces are hitting the Martuni district, including the towns of Martuni, martakert and some Askeran districts with multiple rocket launchers Grad and Smerch," the service said on Facebook.

Russia is deeply concerned about the ongoing hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and the involvement of mercenaries from the Middle East in the fighting, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We are deeply concerned about the ongoing hostilities. The involvement of foreign mercenaries from the Middle East in the clashes is on the rise, the costs for the economies and societies of the conflicting parties have noticeably increased," Zakharova said at a briefing.

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told Sputnik that Yerevan did not implicitly agree to withdraw its forces from Karabakh during Moscow talks, contrary to a recent statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev told Haber Turk broadcaster on October 14 that Baku was expecting Armenia to withdraw its forces from Karabakh, where the decades-long conflict flared-up in late September.

"The Joint statement of October 10 is there, it was reconfirmed also on October 17 and October 25 and there is nothing agreed beyond that text," the minister said.

On October 10, foreign ministers of both Armenia and Azerbaijan held talks in Moscow, mediated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a ceasefire, but almost immediately after it went into force both reported that it was being breached by the other side. There have been two other attempts at ceasefire since then, one of them brokered in Washington, but the two sides reported breaches soon after each of the agreements.

The implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia is instrumental in advancing the resolution of the conflict, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik in an interview.

The decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict flared up in late September. There have been three attempts at ceasefire, but each time both sides began reporting breaches from the other side almost immediately.

"Now, when the situation on the ground has been changed and Azerbaijan started liberating its territories from military occupation and ensuring the implementation of the related resolutions, Armenia has to comprehend at last that the only way of solving the conflict and achieving peace and prosperity in the region requires adhering to the norms and principles of international law, respecting territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of states, and ending the illegal presence of its forces in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan," Bayramov said.

The minister specifically cited Resolutions 874 and 884, adopted by the UN Security Council in 1993, which urge for the withdrawal of forces from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

Azerbaijan is opposed to the expansion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and the involvement of any third parties in it, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik in an interview.

“Azerbaijan does not support the idea to expand the conflict context or zone,” Bayramov said, when asked to assess the possible involvement of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, to which Armenia is a member, into the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Accusing the Armenian forces of targeting Azerbaijani territories far from the conflict zone, Bayramov stated that “Armenia is trying to make Azerbaijan to return fire and thus to bring the third states into the conflict” and that “[Azerbaijan] made it clear that we will not respond to such provocations of Armenia.”

Armenia is in close communication with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and its member states regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said.

"Armenia continues close consultations both with the CSTO and CSTO member states and informs its allies on the situation on the ground," the minister said.

CSTO members, apart from Armenia, include Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The military alliance is expected to defend its members if they are being attacked. An issue of Armenia potentially asking for CSTO’s help has been raised by journalists, but so far neither CSTO, not Armenia have confirmed that there was such a request. The Kremlin said in early October that the obligations to defend CSTO members in case of attack covered Armenia, but not Karabakh.

Turkey's position on the Karabakh conflict settlement is based on the norms of international law, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik.

Ankara has publicly backed Baku's position in the Karabakh conflict.

"Turkey’s position on the conflict settlement is based on the norms and principles of international law, including the Helsinki Final Act. Turkey supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, as a key factor of durable peace, security and stability in the region," the minister said.

Nobody can say that Turkey has been impartial in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told Sputnik in an interview.

Ankara has publicly backed Baku's position in the Karabakh conflict.

"No one can assert that Turkey has been acting as an impartial or neutral player in the context of NK conflict including Turkey itself. It was Turkey who rejected the call for immediate cessation of hostilities put forward on October 1 by the Presidents of US, Russia and France even before Azerbaijan expressed its views on that," the minister said.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation's (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by Russia, the United States, and France, remains the only recognized body that has the authority to mediate in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told Sputnik in an interview.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had a new plan for the Karabakh crisis, which envisions “termination of the occupation, respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Araghchi argued that the Minsk group had been inefficient. On October 13, the Iranian government said Tehran was ready to become a mediator in the conflict.

"Iran is a very important country in our region and unlike Turkey it has a responsible and constructive stance when it comes to regional security and peace. At the same time, the Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship is the only internationally agreed format of mediation and negotiations, whose role was confirmed in the Joint Statement of October 10 and consecutive statements of October 17 and October 25," the Armenian foreign minister said.

Following the outbreak of clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27, Tehran has proposed establishing a tripartite initiative, involving Iran, Turkey, and Russia, to complement the OSCE Minsk Group's efforts to find a solution to the ongoing conflict.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that Baku would support Ankara's involvement in any peace process.

The OSCE Minsk Group has urged Yerevan and Baku to observe a Russian-brokered ceasefire, which was agreed in Moscow on October 9. A second ceasefire agreement, which was meant to enter force on October 18, was also reached, although both sides have accused one another of conducting shelling attacks as recently as Friday morning.

Iran’s offer of mediation in the Karabakh conflict is appreciated but should be agreed to by both Baku and Yerevan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said.

“Currently the negotiations are continuing within the OSCE Minsk group format. Iran is not the member of the Minsk Group and its mediatory mission needs to be agreed by both sides,” the minister said.

Iran has offered its services as a mediator more than once, Bayramov said.

“We highly appreciate these efforts of Iran,” the minister added.

Azerbaijan has intelligence about militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting on Armenia’s side in Karabakh, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said.

The decades-long conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up in late September. Three ceasefires have been attempted since then, but each time, Armenia and Azerbaijan soon began reporting truce breaches on part of the other side. Armenia has repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of using foreign fighters in the conflict, but Baku has refuted these claims.

“We have credible intelligence reports from several sources that PKK terrorists and Armenian nationals from European and Middle East countries are engaged on the battlefield on the side of Armenia,” the minister said.

Claims of foreign fighters, who are helping Azeri forces in the Karabakh conflict, have remained unsubstantiated, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in early October that 300 Syrian militants had been sent to Baku via the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in mid-October that Russia was raising the issue of foreign mercenaries in Karabakh in its talks with Turkey.

“The story of foreign fighters or Syrian militants, as you name them, is a clear case of disinformation spread by some countries. So far, there was not a single [piece of] evidence from those who spread these fake news,” the minister said.

Azerbaijan is fully capable of protecting its interests on its own, the minister said.

“No external forces, including irregular groups, are needed to protect the territorial integrity of our country,” Bayramov said.

Turkey is continuing to send militants from Syria and Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh amid the ongoing clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the disputed region, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in early October that 300 Syrian militants had been sent to Baku via the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in mid-October that Russia was raising the issue of foreign mercenaries in Karabakh in its talks with Turkey. Turkish officials and lawmakers have refuted allegations of Ankara sending mercenaries to Nagorno-Karabakh.

"There is overwhelming factual evidence on the presence and ongoing transfer of foreign terrorist fighters by Turkey from Syria and Libya, which is confirmed by the intelligence of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries and coverage from the conflict zone itself," Mnatsakanyan said.

The latest developments show that Turkey, a long-term ally of Azerbaijan, is not acting impartially in the ongoing conflict, the foreign minister stated.

"No one can assert that Turkey has been acting as an impartial or neutral player in the context of the NK [Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict, including Turkey itself," Mnatsakanyan stated.

The foreign minister said that Ankara's actions indicate that the Turkish government is seeking to exploit the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to assert its power in the region.

"Turkey views this conflict as an opportunity to project its power in yet another neighboring region - the South Caucasus - and this attitude of exploiting conflict and inflicting enormous human suffering on peoples of the region for the sake of power projection should be countered not encouraged," Mnatsakanyan added. 

Clashes broke out in the disputed region on September 27 after both Armenia and Azerbaijan accused one another of breaching a long-standing truce. Members of the international community, including Russia, have expressed their concern over the participation of foreign mercenaries in the conflict. Azerbaijan has stated that the claims of foreign involvement were fake and unsubstantiated.

The presence of military observers in the Karabakh region makes sense only if Armenia commits to withdrawing its forces, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on October 14 that Russian military observers should be present in the Nagorno-Karabakh region to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire on the line of contact as it was agreed during talks in Moscow, yet the final decision on their deployment should be left with Yerevan and Baku. 

“Establishment of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism must be synchronized with the settlement process. Otherwise, in the absence of concrete commitment by Armenia on withdrawal of its forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the monitors would simply serve to consolidate the situation based on the occupation,” the minister said. 

According to Bayramov, the ceasefire implementation would require “a firm commitment by Armenia to respect its obligations and start withdrawing its armed forces from the Azerbaijani territories.”

Yerevan supports deployment of ceasefire observers in Nagorno-Karabakh, but does not believe that Baku is interested in a sustainable ceasefire, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told Sputnik in an interview.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on October, 14  that Russian military observers should be present in the region, but the final decision was up to the parties to the conflict. According to Lavrov, “not even peacekeepers, but military observers would be enough.”

“Armenia has been always supportive of the idea of permanent ceasefire monitoring which was introduced in the peace process by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs immediately after the 2016 April escalation,” the minister said.

According to Mnatsakanyan, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the expansion of the OSCE  monitoring team and ceasefire investigation mechanism, but Azerbaijan later “ refused to implement this agreement.”

“This indicates that neither yesterday nor today Azerbaijan is interested in a sustainable and verifiable ceasefire. Our position is unchanged and we support the deployment of observers,” the foreign minister said.

Any potential peacekeeping mission in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, where armed clashes have been reported since late September, should involve the participation of impartial countries that have not played a role in stoking the conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said.

"But what can be emphasized from the beginning is that any peacekeeping arrangement cannot include those who, in words and deeds, act not as a neutral side but as a party to the conflict," the Armenian foreign minister said.

Peacekeepers deployment was mentioned in the OSCE Budapest Summit decision of 1994, which tasked the High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) to develop a plan for the establishment, force structure requirements and operation of a multinational OSCE peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia is not interested in finding a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as evident from the statements of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik in an interview.

Armed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan which exercises de facto independence, have been ongoing since September 27. Three internationally-brokered humanitarian ceasefires had been announced since then, but the warring sides have accused each other of breaching all three mere minutes after they took effect.

“Apparently Armenia is not interested in the negotiated settlement of the conflict. Its Prime Minister [Nikol Pashinyan] clearly stated that there is no diplomatic solution to the conflict. Their ultimate objective is to consolidate the status quo based on occupation,” Bayramov said.

The proposed Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire verification mechanism cannot ensure peace in the region, which is only achievable upon the withdrawal of the Armenian forces, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told Sputnik in an interview.

“Ceasefire is not a settlement of the conflict, and no verification mechanisms can replace the durable solution to the conflict. To ensure peace in the region we need to eliminate the fact of occupation. Armenian forces must withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as it was clearly demanded by the respective UNSC resolutions back in 1993,” Bayramov said.

Armed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan which exercises de facto independence, have been ongoing since September 27. Three humanitarian ceasefires had been brokered since then by Russia, France and the United States, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, a mechanism designed to promote peaceful settlement of the conflict.

In mid-October, Russia called for putting in place a verification mechanism that would ensure a proper implementation of the ceasefire. The creation of a verification mechanism was envisaged in the agreement on a truce that the sides signed on October 10.

The armed forces of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of attacking the cities of Stepanakert, Shusha and Martakert with the Smerch multiple rocket launchers.

“At the moment, the enemy’s forces are shelling Stepanakert, Shusha and Martakert with the Smerch multiple rocket launchers. The enemy has again violated the requirements of the international humanitarian and universal law, fired at exclusively peaceful settlements, which has resulted in injured civilians,” Karabakh’s armed forces wrote on Facebook.

Human rights activist Artak Beglaryan said on Thursday that this day was “probably the most aggressive day in Stepanakert during this war.”

The long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the beginning of which dates back to 1988, faced a fresh escalation on September 27. Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of starting the military action. Reports indicate that civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh are bearing the brunt of artillery shelling.

Armenia has declared martial law and called for a general mobilization, while Azerbaijan has announced partial mobilization and partial martial law. The parties have since agreed to two humanitarian ceasefires brokered by Russia on October 10 and by the US on October 26, but confrontation has continued nonetheless.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Thursday that two Su-25 strike fighters of the Armenian military were destroyed.

"On October 29, at around 13:18 [09:18 GMT], two Su-25 strike aircraft of the Armenian armed forces, which made an attempt to launch airstrikes on the Azerbaijani army's positions in the Qubadli district, were downed by the Azerbaijani air defence units," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Baku has transferred to Yerevan around 30 bodies of killed Armenian servicemen, and also two senior Armenian citizens, thanks to Russia's mediation, Azerbaijani presidential aide Khikmet Gadzhiyev said on Thursday.

"Around 30 bodies of the Armenian armed forces' servicemen and officers who fell on the battlefield should have been given to the Armenian side, as well as two senior Armenian citizens ... The transfer ceremony took place today in the Gazakh-Tovuz area," Gadzhiyev said at a briefing.

According to the presidential aide, Armenia was initially not willing to accept its citizens and dead bodies.

"We highly appreciate the effort of the Russian Defense Ministry and [Defense] Minister Sergei Shoigu personally. The Armenian side agreed to accept the dead bodies, supporting Russia's initiative to open the humanitarian corridor," Gadzhiyev added.

The Armenian Defense Ministry confirmed the transfer.

The ombudsman of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh said Thursday there had been dead and injured in the city of Stepanakert as a result of Azer forces' strikes.

"Azeri forces have been striking Stepanakert for several hours now. There are dead and wounded. There are damages, too. Today's attack is the most aggressive since the beginning of the war," Artak Beglaryan said.

The #Azerbaijan|i forces have struck Stepanakert with Smerch missiles during an air raid that lasted most than one hour. The air raid siren has once again sounded in the capital. There are ongoing missile attacks in Askeran, Martuni and Martakert as well

— Armenian Unified Infocenter (@ArmenianUnified) October 29, 2020

Talks of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan — expected to be held in Geneva later in the day with the participation of the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group — are postponed until Friday, a diplomatic source in Baku said.

"The meeting that was due to be held on Thursday is postponed until Friday," the source said.

Apart from that, Azerbaijan's news agency APA reported, citing the country's Foreign Ministry, that Bayramov's visit to Geneva is delayed to Friday.

Iran proposes a new plan for Karabakh crisis settlement that envisions termination of the occupation and is based on the principle of border inviolability, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's special presidential envoy and deputy foreign minister, said on Thursday upon his arrival in Moscow for talks.

Araghchi expressed the belief that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group had proven inefficient, and therefore a new plan was needed.

"We cannot stay indifferent to the events in the region, we will help resolve the crisis. The key goal of Iran's proposal is to help put an end to the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. The most important feature of the Iranian plan is its region-based approach and realism ... At the first stage, the plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran envisions practical adherence of the regional states to certain principles, such as termination of the occupation, respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty, border inviolability principle, respect for humanitarian rights and minorities rights, prevention of attacks on civilian population and facilities," Araghchi said, as quoted by the Iranian Embassy in Moscow.

Russia, as "one of the important regional countries," should play a key role in the crisis settlement, the Iranian diplomat went on to say.

Four former Uruguayan presidents have expressed solidarity with Armenian people and called for an immediate ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Faced with serious events that are taking place in the South Caucasus, we stand in historic solidarity with Armenian people and express our desire for an immediate ceasefire together with the resumption of negotiations to achieve peace and a definitive solution to the conflict," the document said.

The declaration was signed on Wednesday, October 28, by Uruguayan Ex-Presidents Julio Maria Sanguinetti (1985-1990 and 1995-2000), Luis Alberto Lacalle Herrera (1990-1995), Tabare Vazquez (2005-2010 and 2015-2020) and Jose Mujica (2010-2015).

Azerbaijani forces hit Artsakh's capital Stepanakert with Smerch MLRS again at about 8.03 a.m.,
A residential house & a car were destroyed, another nearby building collapsed from the strike.
The owner of the house & a neighbor received injuries & were transported to med facility pic.twitter.com/VMiYS0pRh9

— Shushan Stepanyan (@ShStepanyan) October 29, 2020

Iran's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, is scheduled to arrive in the Russian capital of Moscow on Thursday as part of a working visit prompted by the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, confirmed on Tuesday that Araghchi would visit Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, and Turkey, as Iran seeks to play a role in efforts to reach a settlement to the conflict in the disputed region, which flared up in late September.

During his time in Moscow, Araghchi is expected to hold talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.

Iran has proposed establishing tripartite talks, involving Russia, Iran, and Turkey, to complement the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France, to find a lasting peace settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the United States – will meet with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Swiss city of Geneva on Thursday to discuss efforts to reach a settlement to end the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The OSCE's Minsk Group co-chairs confirmed plans for the meeting this past Sunday, after the Armenian foreign minister, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, held talks in the US capital of Washington.

Mnatsakanyan and Bayramov agreed to a US-brokered truce over the past weekend, the third such agreement reached since the conflict flared up in late September. Despite the latest truce, the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces have continued to accuse one another of shelling civilian and military targets throughout the week.