Canadian FM Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh

Canada is worried about the spate of hostilities in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region and urges the parties to the conflict to abide by the ceasefire regime, the country’s foreign minister said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Canada firmly believes that there is no alternative to a peaceful, negotiated solution to this conflict, he underlined.

"Canada is concerned by the recent escalation of violence between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. We call on all sides to show restraint, immediately return to a true ceasefire, and actively resume dialogue within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group," Stephane Dion said in a statement.

On Saturday, Armenia and Azerbaijan noted a sharp escalation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire that has been in place since 1994.

The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988, when the Armenian-dominated autonomous region sought to secede from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, before proclaiming independence after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, has been trying to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since 1992.