Moscow urges parties to Karabakh conflict to exercise restraint - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. March 6 (Interfax) - Moscow is concerned about another outbreak of violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh area and calls on the parties to the conflict to exercise restraint, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

"We express our serious concern about the growing tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated in the past few days. An armed incident happened on March 5, which caused loss of life on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides," Zakharova said in a commentary on Monday.

"We urge the parties to display restraint and undertake steps to de-escalate the situation," Zakharova said.

She called on the parties to abide by the November 9, 2020 agreements on a comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of all military activities within the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

"Any issues concerning guarantees of security and vital necessities within the Russian peacekeeping contingent's zone of responsibility must be settled in a peaceful way and through contact between the parties under the Russian peacekeeping contingent's aegis," Zakharova said.

"What happened shows yet again that it is imperative for Baku and Yerevan to resume negotiations as soon as possible to implement the provisions of the trilateral statements by the Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian leaders of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26, 2021, as well as October 31, 2022, including as concerns the unblocking of local communication routes, the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the drafting of a peace treaty," she said.