Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev delivers a speech during the 7th Global Baku Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan on March 14, 2019. Photo: IC

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his great concern over the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop fighting.

"The secretary-general is extremely concerned over the fresh resumption of hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. He condemns the use of force and regrets the loss of life and the toll on the civilian population," according to a statement issued by the secretary-general's spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The statement said that "the secretary-general strongly calls on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay. He will be speaking to both the president of Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia."

The secretary-general reiterates his full support for the important role of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group cochairs and urges the sides to work closely with them for an urgent resumption of dialogue without preconditions, according to the statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to halt any armed conflict along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

To ease heightened tensions in Transcaucasia, Lavrov held separate phone talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Expressing serious concern about the conflicts along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Lavrov urged an early cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to press releases by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia will continue to undertake mediation efforts to stabilize the situation, Lavrov said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the ministry issued a statement calling on the parties to immediately cease-fire and start negotiations.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said Sunday that it has shot down two Azerbaijani helicopters and three drones.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said it is currently launching a counter-offensive in the region.

Azerbaijan's Parliament accepted a decree by the country's president to impose a martial law on Sunday in the wake of the escalation of clashes along the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline earlier in the day.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. 

Xinhua