Russian defense minister calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to stop escalating situation

Army General Sergey Shoigu held telephone talks with Azerbaijani and Armenian Defense Ministers, Colonel General Zakir Gasanov and Suren Papikyan

MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has called on his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to stop actions provoking further escalation of the situation, the Russian defense ministry said after Shoigu’s telephone talks with them.

"Russian Defense Minister Army General Shoigu held telephone talks with Azerbaijani and Armenian Defense Ministers, Colonel General Zakir Gasanov and Suren Papikyan. The defense ministers discussed the current escalation of the situation at the Azerbaijan-Armenian border near Mount Kilisali. Shoigu called on both side to stop actions provoking escalation of the situation," the ministry said.

The Armenian defense ministry said earlier in the day that Minister Papikyan had spoken over the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu to discuss the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The Azerbaijani side also informed about telephone talks between Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Gasanov and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

Armenia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday that several Armenian soldiers were killed and wounded following an offensive staged by the Azerbaijani army at the eastern direction. According to Chairman of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan, the country has called on Russia "to protect Armenia’s territorial integrity." Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan told TASS that Russia and Armenia were in consultations via military and diplomatic channels over the current escalations of the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.