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Moscow concerned about deteriorating situation in Karabakh region

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  • Moscow concerned about deteriorating situation in Karabakh region

    Itar-Tass, Russia
    Aug 2 2014


    Moscow concerned about deteriorating situation in Karabakh region


    MOSCOW, August 02 /ITAR-TASS/. Moscow on Saturday voiced concern about
    the latest flare-ups in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area and urged
    the parties involved to refrain from using force and take steps
    towards stabilising the situation in the region.

    "We express serious concern about the dramatic deterioration of the
    situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area, which has resulted in
    considerable casualties," Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Maria
    Zakharova said.

    "We regard the latest events as a serious violation of the ceasefire
    and the declared intentions to achieve a political settlement," she
    said, adding that further escalation would be unacceptable.

    Four Azerbaijani army servicemen were killed in overnight clashes, the
    Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said, adding that Armenians had also
    sustained casualties but did not elaborate.

    Defence Ministry spokesperson Vagif Dargyakhly denied media reports
    alleging that the Azerbaijani army was using guided missile systems
    against Armenian troops.

    "Units of the country's Armed Forces are taking adequate measures in
    response to ceasefire violations by the Armenian side. But they are
    using only large caliber firearms," he said.

    He confirmed that 12 Azerbaijani troops had been killed in the
    conflict area over the past four days and several had been wounded,
    but did not specify.

    The spokesperson said the current situation in the region was relatively calm.

    Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in July that his country was
    using political and economic factors to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
    conflict peacefully.

    He stressed that Azerbaijan could solve the problem by force, but "we
    think the potential of negotiations has not been used up yet".

    "Using political, economic and military pressure we will try to get
    the issue solved peacefully. Our economic, political and military
    potential is quite strong and this factor will play a positive role at
    the talks," the president said, adding that the conflict could not
    remain frozen.

    Aliyev regretted the absence of progress in the resolution of the
    conflict despite the international mediators' efforts. "We are of the
    opinion that the mediators dealing with this [Karabakh] issue are more
    interested in keeping the situation in its present state. Their main
    interest is in preserving stability and preventing a war in the
    region. We also want peace. But at the same time we want to see truth
    and justice restored and international law triumphing," he said.

    The president also believes that the conflict should be settled
    "cardinally". "Half-solutions can only be an interim step. We should
    not forget the main goal. The people of Azerbaijan should return to
    the occupied territories," he said.

    He stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenians could get a high status
    of autonomy within Azerbaijan. "We proposed this and this approach is
    based on the most positive experience the world and Europe have," he
    added.

    The Armenian president's spokesperson Arman Sagatelyan said on
    Saturday that the conflict could not be resolved by force.

    "Armenia is convinced that there can be no military solution to the
    Karabakh conflict," he said. "The truce agreement signed in 1994
    clearly states the parties' legal obligations that must be respected.
    The Nagorno-Karabakh problem can only be resolved through peace
    negotiation," Sagatelyan said.

    The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began on February 22, 1988. On November
    29, 1989 direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan
    regained control of the region. However later a joint session of the
    Armenian parliament and the top legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh
    proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

    On December 10, 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum,
    boycotted by local Azeris, which approved the creation of an
    independent state.

    The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and
    Azerbaijan obtained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the
    end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and
    created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. An unofficial
    ceasefire was reached on May 12, 1994.

    As of August, 2008, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group were
    attempting to negotiate a full settlement of the conflict. On August
    2, 2008, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President
    Serzh Sargsyan travelled to Moscow for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, who
    was Russian president at the time. As a result, the three presidents
    signed an agreement that calls for talks on a political settlement of
    the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/743332

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