Armenian PM and EU special representative discussed situation in Karabakh

YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received on Thursday EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar and the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vasilis Maragos, the government press office reported.

It said the sides discussed the military and political situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and steps towards its resolution. They emphasized the necessity to guarantee the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

Pashinyan and Klaar also touched upon the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and exchanged views on the ongoing cooperation between Armenia and the EU

On September 19 Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terror" operation in the region demanding that Karabakh's forces raise a white flag, disband their armed forces and dissolve their "illegal regime".

After 24-hour fierce fighting the ethnic Armenian authorities in Stepanakert gave in. Under the terms of the truce, outlined by Azerbaijan and the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the ground, Karabakh armed forces must commit to being completely disbanded as well as disarmed.

According to the Nagorno-Karabakh human rights defender’s office, more than 10 thousand people have been evacuated from the communities seized by Azerbaijanis, several thousand cannot find their missing relatives -women, children and elderly people.

As of 21:30 September 20, the number of casualties stood at 200, including children, the number of wounded at more than 400.

Azerbaijani officials and Karabakh’s Armenian representatives had the first meeting on Thursday for "re-integration" talks in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh. -0-