YEREVAN/BAKU/GENEVA (Reuters) - Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians fought with artillery and heavy guns on Thursday as the United States, France and Russia stepped up efforts to secure a ceasefire and avert a wider war in the South Caucasus. Ethnic Armenians who control the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan said Stepanakert, its main city, had been shelled by Azeri forces. Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was due to attend Thursday's talks in Geneva, but no direct meetings have been scheduled between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan is expected to hold separate talks with U.S., French and Russian officials in Moscow on Monday. Russia's foreign ministry said earlier on Thursday that it was in talks with Azerbaijan and Armenia to organise a possible meeting in Moscow.

Source: The Star October 08, 2020 08:21 UTC