Germany: Merkel calls for Karabakh truce, Armenian pres blames Baku

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a press conference with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in Berlin on Wednesday, in which she called for progress in building a permanent truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan following renewed hostilities in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Commenting on the recent outbreak of violence, Merkel said "we need to advance the whole negotiation process, but we have not seen much progress in this area over the last few years." She went on to say that "first and foremost we have to do everything to stop the bloodshed and loss of human life" and that a permanent truce is of the "highest urgency."
In response to her comments, President Sargsyan said that "Azerbaijan is opposed to any trust building measures and is intent on pursuing other goals." He went on to accuse Azerbaijan of starting "acts of war" last Friday along the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh.