The Armenian Foreign Ministry has condemned the gross violation of the trilateral statement by Azerbaijan.
On December 11, at around 8:40 pm, taking advantage of the fact that no peacekeeping forces were deployed in this part of the Artsakh Republic, the special detachments of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attacked the Artsakh-Azerbaijani line of contact in the direction of Old Tagher and Khtsaberd settlements of the Hadrut region.
As a result, six servicemen of the Defense Army received gunshot wounds of various degrees. Azerbaijani forces continued their provocative actions today in the direction of Mets Shen-Hin Shen settlements in Hadrut region.
“Strongly condemning this gross violation of the commitments made by the top military-political leadership of Azerbaijan in the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, we emphasize that these actions are aimed at devaluing the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Adhering to its traditional way of acting, the Azerbaijani side resorted to the provocation during the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the region. In fact, this challenge to the efforts of the Co-Chairs is a continuation of the belligerent and unacceptable statements made by the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan during the recent parade in Baku. Such a policy once again demonstrates the Turkish-Azerbaijani expansionist policy, which continues to undermine regional security and stability, and is fraught with expansion into neighboring regions, the Ministry added.
It stressed that these actions of official Baku make it more imperative to eliminate the consequences of the recent Azerbaijani aggression, including the de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh and the return of the Armenians of Artsakh to their places of residence.
“Given the impunity of Azerbaijan for violating its international obligations through force and its aftermath, we call on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to respond unequivocally and clearly to the Azerbaijani side’s actions aimed at violating the ceasefire, ethnic cleansing and occupation of Armenian settlements,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
