The Bustros Palace, headquarters of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (NNA)
Lebanese authorities expressed "deep concern" Wednesday for the recent armed clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Following the latest developments between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Armenian soil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its deep concern about the military operations," Bustros Palace said in a statement.
The ministry said it "regrets the killings and destruction in Armenian cities and calls for an end to military actions, respect of the ceasefire and a return to negotiations, and recalls the need to continue and intensify negotiation efforts between the two countries."
The clashes that began Monday night marked the worst violence between the two countries since a 2020 war, and could jeopardize recent peace talks. At least 100 Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers died Tuesday, according to AFP. On Wednesday, the two countries accused each other of new attacks on their borders.
The Foreign Minister also called for "restraint, avoidance of military escalation and a return to dialogue in accordance with the principles of international law and signed agreements," in order to restore "security and stability in the region."
A large Armenian community lives in Lebanon. Russia announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, but both sides say their opponents have already violated it.
Relations between Yerevan and Baku remain poisoned by the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh: a predominantly Armenian enclave that seceded from Azerbaijan with Armenia's support. After a war that left more than 30,000 people dead in the early 1990s, Yerevan and Baku clashed again in the autumn of 2020, in fighting that claimed more than 6,500 lives. Armenia lost the 2020 war and had to cede significant territory.