Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 6
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:
The OSCE Minsk Group has brought a message to Baku and will bring to Yerevan about the need for immediate ceasefire in order to create an environment where progress can be made on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's settlement, the Minsk Group's US Co-chair James Warlick told reporters in Baku Apr. 6.
He said it is not possible to make progress on the negotiations unless there is respect to the ceasefire.
"As you know, the US has been very supportive of the Minsk Group and the co chairs," said Warlick, adding the co-chairs had a very productive conversation with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, defense and foreign ministers.
The Minsk Group expressed deepest condolences for losses among Azerbaijani military forces and also civilians that have been affected in recent days, he added.
OSCE's Minsk Group wants to see real commitment and political will by the parties to move forward with the process of resolving the conflict, according to the American co-chair.
He added that the Minsk Group is prepared to support the meeting of the parties, but the decision rests with Baku and Yerevan.
Warlick said comprehensive settlement means withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories and the return of those territories to Azerbaijan, and also it means that the parties must deal with the issue of status for Nagorno-Karabakh.
"I don't blame the people of Azerbaijan for being frustrated after more than 20 years of this conflict. A larger war only can result in more deaths and casualties. We need a political process," he added.
Further talking about the possible monitoring on the line of contact, Warlick said monitoring the line of contact requires the permission of the sides and until the sides are confident that the security of the monitors can be protected, they are withholding permissions for the inspections.
On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers.
The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.
Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier 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 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.
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