OSCE) Should Pass from Unaddressed Statements to Tough Sanctions against Azerbaijan: NKR MFA

The Karabakh Foreign Ministry issued a statement on recent incidents in the line of contact.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic states that Azerbaijan continues to actively violate the cease-fire along the entire line of contact between the armed forces of the NKR and Azerbaijan. On June 18, 2012, at 8:15 am, as a result of gross violation by the Azerbaijani armed forces, conscript of the NKR Defense Army Aram S. Gyulnazarian, born in 1993, was killed.

The regular provocation by Azerbaijan is an open challenge to the OSCE, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states, a boycott of previous commitments and agreements. A corresponding note, which reflects the official viewpoint of the NKR authorities on this issue, is submitted to the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

We condemn the aggressive and criminal actions of Azerbaijan and declare that the responsibility for the further escalation of tension rests with the Azerbaijani side. Such ongoing criminal tricks of Azerbaijan force us to resort to adequate retaliatory measures.

We believe that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should pass from unaddressed statements to tough assessments and sanctions against Azerbaijan for its armed-force policy, for impeding a peaceful settlement, arousing hatred, and unleashing a new war in the region.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic reaffirms its commitment to the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict by exceptionally peaceful means and its readiness to permanently carry out the existing obligations of the parties to maintain the ceasefire provided by the February 5, 1995 agreement, which was signed by the heads of the Defense Offices of the NKR, RA, and AR. The NKR Foreign Ministry expresses its confidence that the international community will call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to abandon the futile policy of blackmail, threats and acts of sabotage and to return to a constructive dialogue for achieving lasting peace in the region and a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.”