Azerbaijan, Armenia suffering violence, clashes

(Vatican Radio) Preparations have begun in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to welcome Pope Francis later this year as part of efforts to further improve Catholic-Orthodox relations. Saturday's announced trip comes amid international concern about renewed clashes around the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

The Pope's visit to the often volatile Caucasus region comes shortly after Azerbaijan and Armenia blamed each other for massive
cease-fire violations in the breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Fighting between forces from both countries killed dozens of people. Officials described the clashes as the worst violence since
a truce was signed in 1994. Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists could be seen fighting fierce battles.

They later pledged to allow each side to search safely for the bodies of the many soldiers killed in the clashes.

UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE

Earlier, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev announced a unilateral ceasefire with Armenian-backed troops over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia has violated all the norms of international law. We won't abandon our principal position. But at the same time we are observing the ceasefire," he said in televised remarks. "And after that we will try to solve the conflict peacefully. At the same time we will strengthen our army."  

Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but is controlled by ethnic Armenians who comprise most of its population.  

The spokesman of the president of the self-declared Nagorno Karabakh republic, David Babayan, has denied wrongdoing,
accusing instead Azerbaijan of escalating tensions. "It was a clear violation of the ceasefire regime, the international law, the international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions...Because whatever official Baku has done in the zone of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict was a conspicuous manifestation of terrorism and anti-Armenian policy," he said.

PRAYING PEACE

Armenian forces reportedly shot down an Azeri helicopter and worries have been growing that the clashes will spread in the strategic region,
rich with oil and natural gas.

Pope Francis has been praying for peace in the troubled region, a message he was expected to carry with him when visiting Armenia in June. The Pope also labeled the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians as genocide and seeks to improve relations with the Orthodox Church. And he reaches out to predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan and mainly Orthodox Georgia where people are looking forward to his September 30-October 2 trip.