Germany calls for ‘immediate’ end to Armenian, Azerbaijani fighting

Germany on Sunday called for an “immediate” halt to the fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani separatists over the Nagorny Karabakh region, saying the conflict can only be resolved through dialogue.

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“I call on both parties to the conflict to immediately stop all hostilities, especially the shelling of villages and towns,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement, voicing “alarm” at reports of civilian casualties.

He urged a return to talks to resolve the dispute over the breakaway region, saying that the so-called Minsk Group “stood ready” to help.

France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the Minsk Group but the last big push for peace collapsed in 2010.

“The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region can only be resolved through negotiations,” added the German foreign minister, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

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