Armenia on Wednesday, October 21 urged Azerbaijan to abandon its traditional policy of blame shifting, after Baku issued a manipulative statement trying to attribute the position of Azerbaijan and Turkey, which rejects the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to the Armenian side.

"The military aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh (Karabakh), with the direct involvement of Turkey and pro-Turkish terrorists, is aimed at annihilating the indigenous people of Artsakh, and from the very first day, is accompanied by numerous violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes. Under these circumstances ensuring the existential security of the people of Artsakh becomes an imperative," the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The Republic of Armenia consistently supports the unconditional implementation of the agreements on the cessation of hostilities set in the statements reached on October 10 and October 17, with the mediation of the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

"Consistently pursuing the position of excluding the military settlement of the conflict, we once again emphasize that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be resolved exclusively by peaceful means, within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, which holds an international mandate.

"We call on Azerbaijan and its supporter Turkey not to undermine the efforts of the international community to establish a verifiable ceasefire regime, and not to engage in their traditional policy of blame shifting."

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and Syrian and Libyan mercenaries deployed by Ankara, started a war against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. Foreign and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.