News - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan calls on Azerbaijan to immediately cease hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan calls on Azerbaijan to immediately cease hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. “Japan expresses serious concern over the recent worsening of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and strongly calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and for Azerbaijan to stop current military activities. Japan calls on all parties to resolve issues surrounding this region peacefully through dialogue,” the statement by the Japanese Foreign Ministry says. As previously reported by NEWS.am, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces initiated artillery fire along the entire line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh on September 19, starting at 1 p.m., in an attempt to breach the defense line of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Forces. Presently, Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, and other settlements are enduring heavy shelling. Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Nagorno Karabakh, has documented multiple casualties and injuries among civilians, including children. As of September 20, fighting continues along the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh with varying degrees of intensity. Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are employing various weapons not only to maintain their positional advance but also to target civilian infrastructure.