THE WORLD TODAY

Macron voices concern at use of mercenaries

FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concern about Turkey allegedly sending Syrian mercenaries to support Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia.

The fighting between the two countries centres around the disputed mountain region of Nagorno- Karabakh.

Macron’s office said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue and both “share concern about the sending of Syrian mercenaries by Turkey to Nagorno- Karabakh”. Turkey has publicly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict and said it would provide assistance if requested, but denied sending foreign mercenaries or arms to the region.

The renewed fighting in the Caucasus Mountains, at the crossroads between Russia, Turkey and Iran, has killed dozens of people since Sunday and raised concerns of a broader conflict. Heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces has continued for days in a flare- up of a decades- old conflict.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over reports about “militants from illegal armed groups, in particular from Syria, Libya” being sent to the conflict zone in Nagorno- Karabakh.

The ministry did not clarify which country may have sent the fighters or which country the fighters may have arrived in, but urged “leadership of the states concerned to take effective measures to prevent the use of foreign terrorists and mercenaries in the conflict”.

Macron said he and Putin called for restraint and agreed upon the need for a joint effort towards a ceasefire, as part of mediation efforts for Nagorno- Karabakh led by Russia, France and the US since a 1994 truce ended a war there.