Armenia agrees with the Co-Chairs that ceasefire violations are unacceptable, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said, commenting on the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
“The Co-Chairs refer to what we have been consistently talking about. We agree with them that the ceasefire violations are unacceptable. We agree that the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg should be unequivocally implemented. The mechanism of investigation of border incidents should be implemented as soon as possible,” Edward Nalbandian said in comments to Armenpress.
“The co-chairing countries have mentioned on many occasions which party has been turning down the implementation of the mechanism. Therefore, that party bears full responsibility for the incidents and ceasefire violations. Such mechanisms will allow, as the Co-Chairs say, to avoid reciprocal accusations. However, the fact of an Azerbaijani saboteur being neutralized at the Armenian military posts makes it clear who’s the attacker even without any mechanism,” Minister Nalbandian said.
“We hope the Co-Chairs will be consistent in strongly responding to any use of force or the threat of force in the conflict zone, especially considering that ceasefire violations result in human losses. We must not allow a delayed response to be accepted by the violators of the ceasefire as tolerance towards their actions. As the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have mentioned on many occasions, the unconditional implementation of the 1994-1995 trilateral agreements on ceasefire is a must, the incidents that result from their violation are unacceptable and cause a huge damage to the settlement process,” Edward Nalbandian stated.
“Under the conditions, when Azerbaijan hampers the implementation of an investigation mechanism and the expansion of capacities of the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman0-in-Office, the Co-Chairs remain the only format, which can and should continue its preventive activity in compliance with its mandate,” the Armenian Foreign Minister stated.
