Prime Minister Pashinyan said at a sitting in parliament that Armenia will consider the issue of recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We must discuss this very seriously. We are considering all scenarios for the development of events, ”he said.
Pashinyan added that the armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the line of conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh «can go beyond the region and have a wider scale.»
«I call on the international community to use all levers and not allow Turkey to be drawn into the conflict.»
Nagorno-Karabakh split from Azerbaijan as a result of the conflict that erupted after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan and the world community did not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. This territory is considered a zone of occupation by Armenia.
On Sunday, Azerbaijan went on the offensive and took at least 7 settlements, according to the Ayzerbajan Defense Ministry. Both sides, which have been at war since the 1990s, reported fatalities. Nagorno-Karabakh declared martial law and mobilized the male population.
Armenia stated that Azerbaijan struck an air and artillery strike against Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan said it reacted to the shelling from Armenia and took control of up to seven villages, but Nagorno-Karabakh denied this.
The clashes caused a flurry of concern in Western countries. Pope Francis has spearheaded calls for talks between Armenia, where the majority of the population is Christian, and predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan.
During Sunday's clashes, Armenian right-wing activists said that civilians were killed: a woman and a child. Azerbaijan said that an unknown number of civilians had died. Nagorno-Karabakh denied reports that 10 soldiers were killed as a result of the armed conflict.
Armenia stated that the Azerbaijani military attacked civilian targets, including the Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert, and promised a «proportionate response.»
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on the phone with the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Turkey demanded that Armenia immediately stop hostile actions in the region. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that Ankara is showing solidarity with Azerbaijan. France also called on the parties to end hostilities and immediately resume dialogue.
