AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 21, 2010 Monday
INTL MEDIATORS CONDEMN USE OF FORCE ON ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN FRONTLINE
OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict have strongly condemned the use of force on
Azerbaijani-Armenian troops contact line and said they regret the
senseless loss of life. According to reports of the Defense Ministries
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, an armed incident took place during the
night of June 18-19, in the northern part of the line of contact,
resulting in casualties.
Such an incident is an unacceptable violation of the 1994 Ceasefire
Agreement and is contrary to the stated commitment of the sides to
refrain from the use of force or the threat of the use of force", says
a statement released Monday by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -
Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of
the United States. The statement notes that the incident occurred
immediately after a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaders, held in St. Petersburg on June 17 at the invitation of
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to pursue a negotiated settlement to
the long-standing dispute. "The use of military force, particularly at
this moment, can only be seen as an attempt to damage the peace
process, the statement said. The co-chairs called upon the sides to
exercise restraint on the terrain as well as in their public
communications and prepare their people for peace and not for war.
According to the statement, the mediators reiterated that there is no
alternative to a peaceful solution of the conflict and that war is not
an option. Finally, the co-chairs urged the sides to cooperate fully
with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and do
nothing that would impede his monitoring activities.
From: A. Papazian
June 21, 2010 Monday
INTL MEDIATORS CONDEMN USE OF FORCE ON ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN FRONTLINE
OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict have strongly condemned the use of force on
Azerbaijani-Armenian troops contact line and said they regret the
senseless loss of life. According to reports of the Defense Ministries
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, an armed incident took place during the
night of June 18-19, in the northern part of the line of contact,
resulting in casualties.
Such an incident is an unacceptable violation of the 1994 Ceasefire
Agreement and is contrary to the stated commitment of the sides to
refrain from the use of force or the threat of the use of force", says
a statement released Monday by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -
Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of
the United States. The statement notes that the incident occurred
immediately after a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
leaders, held in St. Petersburg on June 17 at the invitation of
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to pursue a negotiated settlement to
the long-standing dispute. "The use of military force, particularly at
this moment, can only be seen as an attempt to damage the peace
process, the statement said. The co-chairs called upon the sides to
exercise restraint on the terrain as well as in their public
communications and prepare their people for peace and not for war.
According to the statement, the mediators reiterated that there is no
alternative to a peaceful solution of the conflict and that war is not
an option. Finally, the co-chairs urged the sides to cooperate fully
with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and do
nothing that would impede his monitoring activities.
From: A. Papazian