Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed in a phone call on Monday coordination of efforts to deescalate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh region and urged an immediate cessation of hostilities in the conflict zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, according to Sputnik.
"The ministers expressed serious concern over the sharp escalation of tensions along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has already led to numerous casualties, including among the civilian population," the ministry said in a statement.
"Lavrov and Steinmeier agreed that the conflict in the region has no military solution, and called on both sides to exercise restraint, to immediately cease all hostilities and to return to the negotiating table under the OSCE Minsk Group aegis," the statement said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.