Armenia, AS Roma midfielder, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Henrikh Mkhitaryan has addressed a call for peace to the heads of Minsk Group co-chair states - Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump. Mkhitaryan states in the appeal that he is a professional athlete proudly representing Armenia internationally and addressing them with a heavy heart.
“As the world is witnessing an unprecedented and tragic war in Nagorno-Karabakh, let me voice my profound preoccupation that my homeland is in danger.
While the war enters the second week of heavy combats, my native Armenia and Artsakh are defending themselves against the aggressors for our primary right to be a Nation, to exist on our historic lands and to preserve our world-known Christian heritage.
With the intensification of military fights over the past few days, this is indeed heartbreaking to see how the Azerbaijani military is directly targeting kindergartens, residential buildings, hospitals and civilian infrastructures in the capital Stepanakert and other densely populated settlements
Cluster munitions are used against civilian population, resulting in numerous casualties and wounded, many of whom will stay with broken lives and destinies. This could not be called other than a war crime. I am bringing to your high attention that the current situation in Artsakh is on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe.
These tragic events are happening with the direct interference of external regional forces and foreign fighters in the proximity of the Russian Federation and the European Union, which constitutes a direct security threat for other countries.
As historical allies of Armenia, in your capacity as OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, your interference is calling on Azerbaijan to immediately stop this devastating war.
Our youth is dying on the frontline instead of participating in the nation building. From the bottom of my heart I am calling on you to use your full power to halt this human tragedy and bring the sides back to peaceful negotiation.
Sincerely,
Henrikh Mkhitaryan 
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