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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 1 Strongly condemn the escalation of violence at the hotline in the Naka conflict zone and call on all parties to the conflict to cease fire and resume negotiations as soon as possible.
The Russian Kremlin website, the US White House National Security Council social media account, and the French Presidential Palace, respectively, announced the joint statement on the same day.
The statement said that, as co-chair of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russia, the United States and France strongly condemned the escalation of violence along the line of contact in the area of Naka conflict. The leaders of the three countries called on the armed forces of the conflicting parties to immediately cease hostilities, and called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the assistance of Russia, the United States and France, to resume negotiations in good faith and without preconditions to resolve the conflict.
The presidents of Russia, the United States and France expressed condolences to the victims of the conflict and condolences to the victims and families of the injured.
Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted in a new round of conflict in the Naka region on September 27. Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement and taking the initiative in launching a military offensive.
The Naka region was an autonomous prefecture of Azerbaijan during the Soviet period, and its residents were mostly Armenians. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out in a war to compete for Naka. Armenia occupied Naka and the surrounding part of the territory of Azerbaijan. In 1992, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the predecessor of the OSCE) established the Minsk Group consisting of 12 countries, with Russia, the United States and France as co-chairs. Negotiations have been held at different levels on the Naka issue within the Minsk Group, but no substantial progress has been made. In 1994, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on a full ceasefire, but the two countries have been in a state of hostility over the Naka issue, and armed conflicts have occurred between the two sides from time to time. (Reporters participating: Li Ao, Liu Pinran, Xu Yongchun)
