ISTANBUL

Russia on Monday called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to defuse tensions in the Karabakh region, where tensions have risen once again due to a skirmish between forces of Baku and Yerevan.

“We express our serious concern at the escalation of tension in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Over the past few days, there have been repeated violations of the ceasefire regime. On March 5, an armed incident took place, resulting in casualties from both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an official commentary.

She also said Moscow urged the parties involved to “exercise restraint and take steps to deescalate the situation,” adding that Russia underlined the need to comply with the trilateral statement of November 2020.

Zakharova further said any issues related to the area where Russia’s peacekeeping force is stationed "must be resolved peacefully in contact between the parties under the auspices of the Russian peacekeeping contingent."

She added that the incident “once again confirms the imperativeness of Baku and Yerevan returning to negotiations as soon as possible” as part of the trilateral statements of November 2021, January 2021, and November 2021.

Baku's Defense Ministry said at least two Azerbaijani soldiers were killed on Sunday when Armenian forces opened fire on them after Azerbaijani troops attempted to stop and check vehicles carrying out “illegal military transports” through the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu road, where a Russian peacekeeping contingent has been temporarily stationed since the aftermath of the fall 2020 conflict in the Karabakh region and a January 2021 pact with Baku and Yerevan.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.