The Foreign Minister voiced Ukraine's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Ukraine calls on the parties of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict not to heat up emotions and to resolve the conflict under the principle of territorial integrity of states.
The Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated this during an online briefing on September 30, Ukrinform reports.
"We are all closely watching how these events develop (in Nagorno-Karabakh – ed.)… War always means grief, casualties, destruction… In our opinion, now the major thing in the Caucasus is not to intensify already very high emotions… One of the cornerstones of Ukraine's foreign policy is to support the territorial integrity of states. We have consistently supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, just as Azerbaijan has supported our territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, and this principle remains unchanged for us," Kuleba said.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988. In 1994, after six years of war, they signed the Bishkek Protocol, under which Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a ceasefire. Nagorno-Karabakh declared itself an independent "republic", but Azerbaijan did not recognize it, saying Armenia occupied the territory.
Ukraine and most of the world also consider Nagorno-Karabakh an occupied part of Azerbaijan.
On the morning of September 27, Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, blaming each other for firing border areas and provoking violence.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, over 550 servicemen of Armenia were killed during the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia denied it.
The Armenian Defense Ministry announced the deaths of 16 people and over 100 wounded on September 27 and later published a list of 15 more killed in the fighting.
Earlier, an emergency session of the Azerbaijani parliament (Milli Mejlis) decided to impose martial law.
Armenia also declared martial law and full military mobilization.
On September 28, Azerbaijan announced a partial mobilization.