Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Monday called for a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and for the two sides to get back to the negotiating table under the auspices of the Minsk Group, an OSCE-led mediation group.

At least 16 soldiers and an undetermined number of civilians were killed on Sunday during the fiercest fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 2016 which has raised fear of instability in the South Caucuses region, an oil and gas supply corridor for the global market.

The conflict between the two former Soviet republics, which were at war in the 1990s, erupted on Sunday morning and have continued through Monday with heavy artillery being deployed on both sides with war and mobilisation declared.

“The Republic of Croatia is following the escalation of conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh with great concern which has already caused the loss of lives and damage to infrastructure,” the ministry said in a press release.

“We call for a ceasefire and return to the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Republic of Croatia supports all diplomatic efforts directed to re-establishing dialogue and finding a peaceful and sustainable solution to the conflicts,” the ministry added in its press release.

This is the fiercest fighting between the two sides since 2016 which is leading to growing concern for the stability of the South Caucasus region which could disrupt oil and gas exports from the region to international markets.