Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed in a phone call the ongoing fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed their concern about the involvement of extremists from Syria and Libya in the conflict, Tass quoted the Kremlin press office as saying Saturday.
"While discussing Nagorno-Karabakh, they expressed deep concern about the ongoing large-scale hostilities in the conflict zone and increasing involvement of extremists arriving from Syria and Libya into it," the statement says.
"The presidents exchanged in-depth views concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and reached an agreement that the hostilities need to be brought to an end so as to ensure return to negotiations on a realistic basis," a statement from the Elysee Palace in Paris said.
Paris pointed out that the main goal was "to ensure the further stay of the Armenian population in that region and also to put an end to sufferings of the civilian population."
According to the Kremlin, Putin informed Macron in detail about steps taken by Russia to achieve a ceasefire at the soonest possible time and to resume talks.
"They confirmed mutual determination to continue the coordinated mediation efforts of Russia and France, including within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group," Kremlin said.
Turkish, Russian presidents discuss Nagorno-Karabakh
In a telephone call, Turkish president late Saturday spoke to his Russian counterpart, addressing regional matters with special emphasis on ongoing clashes in Upper Karabakh, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin discussed Turkish-Russian relations and regional developments, including Azerbaijan's Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region, Turkey's Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdogan told Putin that Armenia must withdraw from the Azerbaijani lands that it has been occupying, noting that Azerbaijan's ongoing counter-operations in the face of Armenian attacks are being conducted within its own lands.
During the phone call, the Turkish president further stressed that Armenia must be convinced to have the common sense to go the negotiating table. Ending the ongoing conflict with a permanent solution and stabilizing the region is of key importance, he added.
Armenia asks Moscow for help
Putin and Macron telephonic talks on Armenia-Azerbaijan fighting came a week after Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian urged Russia to consider providing security assistance to end more than a month of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh.
With Azerbaijani troops moving deeper into Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia's prime minister made his first public plea for Russia's assistance since the latest fighting started.
President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan said Saturday that Azerbaijan is getting closer to victory against Armenia in its efforts to end the 30-year-long occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani military has liberated 208 villages from Armenian occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.
Pashinian's request puts Russia in a precarious position: joining the fighting would be fraught with unpredictable consequences and risk an open conflict with Turkey, while refusing to offer protection to its ally Armenia would dent Moscow's prestige, the Associated Press said.
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