Moscow urges parties to Karabakh conflict to avoid escalation of tensions
Russia hopes the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will avoid steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce, said Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov further said that the question of the recognition of "independence of Nagorno-Karabakh" has not been discussed with Moscow by Armenia.
"We are closely watching decisions being made in this context," Peskov said. "Of course, we continue to hope that the parties to the conflict will avoid any steps that may disrupt a quite fragile truce and in general trigger the escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh."
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that there is no reason to be concerned about the discussion of the draft law on recognition by Armenia of the illegal regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
Two Armenian MPs recently proposed the country's government to recognize the "independence" of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in defiance of the international law.
This move of Yerevan to resort political provocations in addition to its bloody armed provocations on the frontline with Azerbaijan to breach the peace process and hamper resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was met with strict reaction in Azerbaijan. Baku immediately called on the international community to adequately respond to Armenian provocations.
Long-simmering tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared again on April 2 when the Armenian side began to shell the Azerbaijani positions and settlements along the frontline. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and repulsed the enemy forces back. On April 5, the two sides agreed on a ceasefire. However, the Armenian forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day targeting civilians and shelling villages.
Since the escalation of the situation on the frontline, both neighboring and world countries have expressed their concerns over the escalation of the tensions.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
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