Kyrgyzstan offers political assistance in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Kyrgyzstan is concerned about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and is ready to offer political assistance in achieving peace in the region, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"Kyrgyzstan is deeply concerned about the aggravation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh on the night of April 2, 2016, which led to the bloodshed, suffering and loss of human life," a statement issued by the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said.

The statement calls on both parties to "sit down immediately at the negotiating table to resolve the conflict, regulate and de-escalate the conflict by peaceful and diplomatic measures on the basis of generally accepted principles and norms of international law."

Kyrgyzstan stands ready to provide political assistance in reaching a settlement of the conflict, based on its experience of initiating the Bishkek Protocol, which was signed in the country's capital in 1994 for enforcing a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the statement said.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous enclave with a large ethnic Armenian population that lies inside the territory of Azerbaijan. This region has been the subject of a long-lasting dispute between the two neighboring countries as the first conflict broke out in 1988 when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Sudden violence erupted on Friday night, starting a fight that has been the most severe since the Bishkek Protocol was signed.

A statement on Tuesday from Armenia's Defense Ministry said that the two countries have agreed to an immediate ceasefire in the region. Endi