The Russian Foreign Ministry today issued the following statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of terrorists and foreign combatants from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

According to information received, illegal armed groups are moving to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, in particular, from Syria and Libya to take a direct part in the hostilities.

We are deeply concerned about these processes, which not only increase tensions in the conflict zone, but also pose a long-term threat to the security of all countries in the region.

We call on the leaders of the states concerned to take effective measures to prevent the use of foreign terrorists, mercenaries, in the conflict and to expel them from the region immediately.

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrap Mnatsakanyan had a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Mnatsakanyan strongly condemned Turkey's direct military-political-military-technical involvement in the hostilities carried out by Azerbaijan both on the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

He also expressed concern over the recruitment of foreign militants by Turkey, their transfer to Azerbaijan, and their involvement in hostilities.

Photo by RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Chesnokova