Vatican City / Yerevan - Pope Francis prayed for the victims of recent fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia, appealing for dialogue and peace in a border conflict that has killed 200 people.
Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his spiritual closeness to the families of victims in recent fighting that erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia, urging both parties to respect the ceasefire in view of a peace agreement.
“Let us not forget that peace is possible when weapons are silenced, and dialogue begins! And let us continue to pray for the suffering people of Ukraine and for peace in every land bloodied by war.”
Pelosi condemns Azerbaijan's attacks on Armenia
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday condemned what she said were "illegal" border attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenia, using a visit to the Russian ally to pledge American support for its sovereignty.
Speaking in the ancient city of Yerevan, Pelosi said her trip to Armenia had significance following the "illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenian territory" that triggered border clashes in which more than 200 people were killed.
Armenia said Azerbaijan shelled at least six Armenian settlements inside the border shortly after midnight on Sept. 13, attacking civilian and military infrastructure with drones and large calibre guns. Yerevan said it was unprovoked aggression.
Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, rejects those claims.
Russia is Armenia's major military ally, has a military base in northern Armenia and peacekeepers along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war in 2020.
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia had enough resources to mediate in the conflict. The latest fighting ended after a Russian-brokered ceasefire.
But after appeals for help, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military alliance of former Soviet republics that includes Armenia but not Azerbaijan, decided on Tuesday to dispatch a monitoring mission.
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Simonyan said he was dissatisfied with the response, likening the CSTO to a pistol that did not shoot bullets.
-VN/Reuters