Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses students during his visit to German Embassy school in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Cape Town: Officials from Russia and Iran have expressed their readiness to step in to assist in the border conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Sputnik News Agency reported that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan had agreed to take measures to stabilise the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“The Armenian defence minister presented to his Russian counterpart the situation created as a result of Azerbaijan's large-scale aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia," the ministry said on Tuesday.
Armenian officials had contacted Russia in a bid to implement the security provisions of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and further reached out to the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the UN Security Council.
According to Interfax news agency, Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said 49 Armenian service personnel died during overnight clashes with Azerbaijan, and that Baku had attacked its positions overnight.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the two parties should maintain restraint and called for resolution of disagreements through peaceful means based on international law.
IOL