A long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has resulted in violent clashes between the two nations and the loss of 100 lives in recent days. /AFP
Russia has offered to host peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve a long-running conflict during which more than 100 people have died this week.
The landlocked nations have been involved in a dispute spanning several decades over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has violently flared up in recent days.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region approximately 1,400 square miles in size, is officially part of Azerbaijan but is largely occupied by ethnic Armenians.
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On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed he had called ministers from both countries to offer to host talks. President Vladimir Putin also discussed the matter with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, with both leaders calling for an immediate end to the fighting.
Russia and France both have a vested interested in the conflict. Russia has a military alliance with Armenia and a base in the country, but also has close political ties with Azerbaijan. France is home to a large number of people of Armenian ancestry.
The conflict has also raised tensions between France and Turkey, which has traditionally backed Azerbaijan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, has accused France of supporting the presence of Armenian troops in the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called ministers from both countries and offered to host peace talks in an attempt to end the fighting. /AFP
That accusation was met with a swift rebuttal from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Cavusoglu was using "war-like messages" to justify more fighting in a bid to claim the region.
Russia also released a statement on Wednesday revealing it had discussed the matter with the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The group is an alliance between Russia, France and the U.S. and is used to discuss ways to end international conflict.
But there appears to be no imminent end in sight, with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev vowing to continue fighting until Armenian forces have departed.