OSCE MG concerned about escalation of violence on line of contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan

By  Azertac 

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America, have released a statement expressing their concern over the escalation of violence on the line of contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“According to reports from the Ministries of Defense of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, in the early morning of February 25 there was a serious breach of cease fire on the Line of Contact, resulting in casualties. Several bodies remain in the no-man's land. The Sides accuse each other of an incursion attempt,” the Co-Chairs said in the statement.

The Co-chairs urged the parties to keep heavy military equipment, which had been moved earlier close to the LOC, in its present positions and to allow recovery of the dead, as it was agreed upon under mediation of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

The co-chairs reminded the Parties of their commitments to refrain from the use of force.

Armenian army attempted to infiltrate through the Azerbaijani positions along the line of contact on the night from February 24 to February 25.

The Armenian side attempted to seize favorable positions on the Khojavand-Fuzuli part of the frontline, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, adding heavy battles took place between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

“The Armenian side’s large-scale provocation attempt was timely detected and resolutely prevented. Azerbaijani military units courageously prevented the attacks and the Armenian side was forced to retreat. Azerbaijan has casualties as a result of the battles.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.