Azerbaijan, Baku, July 16 / Trend T.Hajiyev /
Any loss of life is a tragedy and the death of a child is even greater tragedy, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair from France Bernard Fassier said in Baku on Saturday.
"The murder of the Azerbaijani child once again showed how useful it would be to create a mechanism to investigate the incidents," Fassier said.
He said the co-chairs offered several options for implementing the mechanism.
"We are waiting for the reaction of the parties," Fassier said. "This shows that the mechanisms will allow investigating these incidents promptly and thoroughly."
A terrible accident occurred in the Alibayli village of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district, bordering Armenia. An explosive killed a 13-year-old girl, Aygun Shahmaliyeva, and heavily wounded her 32-year-old mother Elnara Shahmaliyeva in the hip.
A toy dog was loaded with an explosive device and dropped by what was believed to be the Armenian side into the Tovuz River flowing through the Alibeyli village.
Elsevar Jafarov and Aygun Shahmaliyeva, who were playing near the river, brought the toy to the home of Hasan Jafarov. When Aygun Shahmaliyeva placed the toy on the table, the device inside detonated.
The Shahmaliyev family and relatives live in Russia, St. Petersburg. They came to visit their relatives in the Alibayli village.
The Tovuz prosecutor's office is investigating the incident for more information.
A similar incident occurred in this region in 1994. Two young children were killed and one wounded when a toy from Armenia exploded.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.