EU to host top Armenia, Azerbaijan officials to ease tensions

Brussels will play host to senior envoys from long-term foes Azerbaijan and Armenia on Tuesday, after Baku's victory in breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Union said.

Simon Mordue, chief diplomatic advisor to European Council president Charles Michel, will chair the talks, Michel's spokeswoman said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with EU heavyweights France and Germany, will be represented by their national security advisors.

The EU special representative for the South Caucasus, Estonian diplomat Toivo Klaar, will also attend.

The meeting comes a week after a lightning offensive by government forces established Azerbaijani control in Nagarno-Karabakh.

Armenian and Azerbaijan have fought a 30-year conflict over the breakaway region, mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.

Ethnic Albanian fighters have begun to disarm and thousands are fleeing the region.

The separatist government said in a statement on Tuesday that "13 unidentified bodies" had been found and seven more people died in hospital after a fuel depot explosion on Monday.

Russia "complicit"

France's President Emmanuel Macron expressed his concern over the situation. "France is right now very vigilant concerning the territorial integrity of Armenia. Because that's what's at stake," he said in a televised interview on Sunday.

He added that Russia was now "complicit" with Baku while Azerbaijan's ally Turkey "has always been a supporter of its (Azerbaijan's) actions".

Armenia has publicly distanced itself from its traditional ally Russia, which has failed to show any concrete support for Yerevan in the current conflict.

Macron said that the Azerbaijan authorities were now "uninhibited" and "threatening the border of Armenia."

The ethnically Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but has been run by a separatist administration for three decades.

Spectre of 1915 Armenian genocide looms over Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan already regained control of part of Karabakh in a 2020 war and now appears set on taking the rest of the territory.

Yerevan said on Sunday that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will hold a pre-arranged meeting in Spain next month but Macron made no mention of this summit.

"We will provide political support so that a lasting peace that can be negotiated," said Macron.

Refugees

Armenia on Tuesday said a total of 13,350 refugees had arrived from Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan.

UN meeting set as US, France seek to halt Karabakh fighting

Most of the refugees seen by French news agency AFP were women and children, including some from Eghtsahogh, where people took shelter around a Russian peacekeeping base after their village allegedly came under Azerbaijani shelling.

"Yesterday, we had to put down our rifles. So we left," a man in his thirties from the village of Mets Shen told AFP as a first group of a few dozen people crossed the border and registered with Armenian officials in Kornidzor.

Erdogan visit

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan on Monday for a one-day visit to meet his counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, according to the Hürryiet Daily News, a Turkish newspaper.

The meeting in the territory between Armenia and Iran on the border with Turkey was officially designed to launch the construction of a gas pipeline but the two presidents were also due to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh and the opening to Azerbaijanis of Armenia's Zangezur corridor, Turkish media reported.

Russia "welcomes" meeting

Erdogan's visit to close ally Azerbaijan comes as Armenia claims that its own security partner, Russia, did not offer enough support. Moscow "categorically" denied the claims.

Russia welcomed the meeting between Erdogan and Aliyev on Monday.

"We always hope that all meetings held by the president of Azerbaijan, including those with the Turkish president, will serve to normalize life in Nagorno-Karabakh after what happened," said Kremlin

(With newswires)


Football news:

<!DOCTYPE html>
Kane on Tuchel: A wonderful man, full of ideas. Thomas in person says what he thinks
Zarema about Kuziaev's 350,000 euros a year in Le Havre: Translate it into rubles - it's not that little. It is commendable that he left
Aleksandr Mostovoy on Wendel: Two months of walking around in the middle of nowhere and then coming back and dragging the team - that's top level
Sheffield United have bought Euro U21 champion Archer from Aston Villa for £18.5million
Alexander Medvedev on SKA: Without Gazprom, there would be no Zenit titles. There is a winning wave in the city. The next victory in the Gagarin Cup will be in the spring
Smolnikov ended his career at the age of 35. He became the Russian champion three times with Zenit

7:18 Туркменистан принял участие министерской встрече «Центральная Азия - ЕС» в Люксембурге
6:36 Поздравления народу Казахстана
5:02 В американском городе Альбукерке стартовали Дни культуры Туркменистана в США
7:35 Посол Туркменистана аккредитован в Душанбе
6:48 Туркменистан и Евросоюз наращивают партнерство
6:44 Глава МИД Туркменистана посетил Люксембург
9:27 Asian Games: Darius Kynan Chenai secures bronze medal in men's trap individual final
9:27 Asian Games: Soniya Devi secures berth in final of women's kayak single 500 m event
5:27 Парламент Туркменистана принял ряд законопроектов
4:18 Global acceptance of Taliban depends on respecting women's rights: US Envoy
3:00 ‘Dünýä türkmenleriniň 24-nji ynsanperwer duşuşygy dünýä türkmenleriniň meselelerini gozgamady’
2:18 Asia Album: Thrilling wrestling competition in Afghanistan
2:03 Growing Diplomacy: Israel and Morocco sign agriculture agreement
18:56 Asian Games: India wins two golds in squash, tennis; slays Pakistan in hockey on Day 7
18:16 Nagorno-Karabakh almost empty as most of population flees to Armenia
17:05 China's women make semis, men exit from Asiad 3x3 basketball
13:55 Russia: India participates in 5th meeting of Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in Kazan
13:37 Asian Games: Narender reaches semis of 92 kg category, assures medal
10:05 Chinese paddlers cruise into canoe sprint final of Hangzhou Asiad
8:03 В Берлине состоялся туркменско-германский бизнес-форум
7:23 Председатель Халк Маслахаты Туркменистана встретился с федеральным канцлером Германии
6:00 Председатель Халк Маслахаты Туркменистана провел переговоры с министром экономики и защиты климата ФРГ
5:21 Туркменистан принял участие в саммите «Центральная Азия - Германия» в Берлине
4:48 Geçmişe edilýän gözegçilik şu günüň we geljegiň ogurlanmagyny 'nazarlaýar'
23:55 Hyderabad's MEIL secures USD 648 million oil refinery plant contract in Mongolia
20:44 UN works with Armenia in response to refugee influx: spokesman
16:44 China spearheads Asiad athletics opening day with 4 golds
16:30 China men's, women's 3x3 basketball teams advance to quarterfinals
16:05 Chinese boxer Wu Yu secures Paris Olympics berth
12:44 'Western Union' hyzmatlary Türkmenistanda ýene çäklendirildi
12:37 Asian Games: Boxer Nikhat Zareen secures Olympic quota; assures medal at Asiad
12:06 At Least 47 Dead in Bombing of Pakistan Religious Rally
11:05 At Least 42 Dead in Bombing of Pakistan Religious Rally
9:37 ‘Merkezi Aziýa – Germaniýa’ sammitinde Türkmenistana Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow wekilçilik edýär
9:36 Etniki arassalaýyş gorkulary arasynda, Garabag ermenileriniň aglaba bölegi sebiti terk edýär
7:55 Asian Games: Bopanna-Bhosale reach mixed doubles final, assured of medal
7:44 Japan's Kenji Nener claims triathlon gold at Hangzhou Asiad
7:18 Gala concert for Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival held in Mongolia
6:37 Öňki tussag prezidenti we onuň kakasyny öwüp, täze aýdym döretdi
6:37 В Ашхабад прибыл новый посол Испании
5:51 ABŞ Türkmenistan bilen hyzmatdaşlygyň has giňeldilmegine umyt baglaýar
5:48 Глава Халк Маслахаты Туркменистана отбыл в ФРГ
5:42 ABŞ Hytaýy global media manipulýasiýasynda aýyplaýar
5:03 Gazak prezidenti Germaniýa öz ýurdunyň Russiýa garşy girizilen sanksiýalar düzgünine eýerjekdigini aýdýar
5:03 Президент Туркменистана посетил праздничные скачки в честь Дня независимости страны
5:00 Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Germaniýa sapar edýär
4:03 Asian Games: Indian duo Saketh-Ramanathan bow out with silver in men's doubles tennis final
3:55 Taliban issues 13 directives in 2 years, restricts media freedom: Report
18:56 Asian Games: With medals up for offer in several events India look to increase their tally
18:56 "We had a lot of support from SAI, govt": Arjun Lal Jat after winning rowing silver at Asian Games
17:37 "Will focus on winning gold next time": Satnam Singh after winning bronze in Men's Quadruple Scull event
14:13 Billionaire ex-Russian citizen accused of terrorism Azerbaijan
14:13 Kremlin blasts extremely hostile move by treaty ally
11:10 Maryda ýaşaýjylar çörek bişirýän zawoduň öňünde protest geçirdiler
10:18 Xinhua world news summary at 1000 GMT, Sept. 28
10:13 Nagorno-Karabakh republic will no longer exist local leader
9:27 South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma to miss World Cup warm-up matches
9:23 Häkimiýetler Mawlid baýramy sadakalary üçin telekeçilere azyk, pul 'salgydyny' saldy
9:02 Toguň töleglerini geçirmedik hojalyklaryň üpjünçiligi kesilýär, abatlaýyş üçin pul toplanýar
6:42 Туркменистан торжественно отметил День независимости
6:13 Ermenistan Dagly-Garabagdaky partlamada 125 adamyň ölendigini aýdýar
6:02 Обсуждены вопросы сотрудничества стран ЦА и Японии в сфере изменения климата
5:27 UN meeting presses Taliban for violating women's rights in Afghanistan
5:18 В Ашхабаде состоялась церемония награждения сотрудников силовых ведомств в честь Дня независимости Туркменистана
5:08 Özbek žurnalistlerine ýapyk gapynyň arkasynda ýyl kesildi
4:55 Asian Games: Ruturaj led Indian cricket team leaves for China to participate in Asian Games
4:19 HRW Daşkendi garagaplak žurnalisti Täjimuratowyň howpsuzlygyny üpjün etmäge çagyrýar
20:13 Record-breaking Russian-American ISS crew returns to Earth
16:06 China breezes past Mongolia on women's basketball opening day at Asiad
16:06 China's Zheng, Zhu reach women's singles semis at Hangzhou Asiad
14:39 Türkmen harbylary Daşkentde geçirilen maslahata gatnaşdylar
12:47 Aktiwistler Nýu-Ýorkda we Waşingtonda çykyş edip, türkmen syýasy tussaglarynyň boşadylmagyny talap etdi
10:55 Içerki gatnawlarda awiabiletleriň döwlet bahasynyň üstüne 'para soralýar'
10:16 Garaşsyzlyk gününde baýramçylyk joşguny ‘duýulmaýar’
9:29 Dagly-Garabagdan Ermenistana 47 müňden gowrak adam geldi
7:55 ABŞ-nyň döwlet sekretary Antony Blinken Türkmenistany Garaşsyzlyk güni bilen gutlady
7:03 Pakistan: Imran Khan transferred to Adiala Jail, despite his requests l
6:55 Asian Games: Nepal concludes historic day with record-breaking 273-run win over Mongolia
6:50 Президент Туркменистана поздравил народ страны с Днем независимости туркменского государства
6:08 Russia says US Abrams tanks will 'burn' in Ukraine
6:08 Глава Туркменистана аккредитовал нового посла Евросоюза
5:54 Глава государства поздравил туркменистанцев с главным национальным праздником
5:49 Председатель Халк Маслахаты Туркменистана провел серию встреч с иностранными политическими деятелями и бизнесменами
0:55 Nagorno-Karabakh: At least 68 killed, several missing in fuel depot blast
22:46 Erdogan demands F-16s for NATO expansion
21:36 Explosion Kills Scores in Nagorno-Karabakh
20:06 Explosion Kills at Least 20 in Nagorno-Karabakh
19:41 Death toll soars to 125 in Nagorno-Karabakh blast
17:28 Aktiwistler Nýu-Ýorkda syýasy tussaglaryň türmeden boşadylmagyna çagyrdylar
17:28 Aktiwistler Nýu-Ýorkda, Waşingtonda syýasy tussaglaryň türmeden boşadylmagyna çagyrdylar
16:27 Asian Games: Suraj Yadav misses out on guaranteed medal finish, crashes out in men's 70kg wushu quarterfinal
16:06 China cruises past Mongolia on Asiad men's basketball opening day
12:44 2 children killed, 2 injured from mortar mine blast in west Afghanistan
11:59 Towuk budy we ýumurtga 'bolçulygy' uzaga çekmedi
11:53 Hor-homsy durmuş şertleri, güýçlendirilen häkimiýet gözegçiligi Garaşsyzlyk baýramyna kölege salýar
11:47 Daşogzuň Tiz kömek merkezinde ýangyn boldy. Ýeten zyýan üçin işgärlerden ‘pul toplanýar’
8:51 Temmäki çäklendirmeleri 'Türkmen çiliminiň' talabyny artdyrýar. Lukmanlar onuň saglyk howplary barada duýdurýar
8:20 Dagly-Garabagdan gaçan 13 müňden gowrak adam Ermenistana geldi
7:47 EU to host top Armenia, Azerbaijan officials to ease tensions
7:27 Ýeňillikli azyk paýlarynyň ýany bilen zerurlygy bolmadyk harytlary satyn almak şert goşulýar