Dutch, Italian Foreign Ministries call for immediate end to hostilities in Karabakh

Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Stef Blok took to Twitter on Sunday to call for an immediate end to the military hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

“Hostilities in #NagornoKarabakh must stop immediately! Extremely concerned about reports of civilian casualties. I urge both parties to de-escalate and return to the negotiation table,” he tweeted.

The Italian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over reports of serious clashes along the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces.

“Italy calls on the parties to stop the violence immediately and to make every effort to prevent the risks of further escalation, particularly under the auspices of the OSCE,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani military launched a massive cross-border artillery attack on Artsakh early on Sunday, targeting civilian population, shelling the capital city of Stepanakert and surrounding areas. Two civilians, a woman and a child, were killed in Artsakh as a result of the Azerbaijani shelling.