Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2
Trend:
I am very concerned about the military escalation along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and about the casualties, including among civilians, Germany's Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and the current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, OSCE website reported.
"I call upon the sides to end hostilities immediately and to respect the ceasefire in full", he said.
Steinmeier also added that there is no military solution to the conflict. "The sides must now show the necessary political will to return to the negotiations in the framework of the Minsk Group. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs enjoy my full support in their task", OSCE Chairperson-in-Office said.
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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.