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By Sara Rajabova

Amid the recent aggravation of tension and deadly clashes on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister and OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs sat for talks to discuss the ways to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Elmar Mammadyarov and Co-Chairs James Warlick (U.S.), Pierre Andrieu (France), Igor Popov (Russia) and Andrzej Kasprzyk, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative met in Krakow on January 27, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.

The sides discussed the negotiation process over resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged in 1988 over Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan and exchanged views on an action plan for the upcoming period.

Drawing the mediators’ attention to Armenia’s provocative actions, Mammadyarov said these activities are aimed at harming the negotiation process.

The Armenian armed forces have recently increased tension on the contact line of two countries troops with attempts to attack the Azerbaijani positions. They violated the ceasefire regime with Azerbaijan over 100 times during past several days.

Armenian sabotage and reconnaissance groups attempted to attack the positions of the Azerbaijani army along the frontline and on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on January 26. Three servicemen of the Azerbaijani army were martyred and some others wounded in clashes with Armenian sabotage groups which were forced to retreat after sustaining casualties.

Reiterating Azerbaijan’s position towards the conflict’s settlement, Mammadyarov further stressed that first and foremost, the Armenian armed forces have to withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

Mammadyarov also raised the issue of Azerbaijani hostages Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who were captured in the Shaplar village of the occupied Kalbajar region on July 11, while they were visiting the graves of their relatives.

Following the meeting, the Minsk Group co-chairs issued a statement, in which they called on Armenia to take all measures to reduce tensions.

They expressed serious concern about reported incursions across the line of contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, resulting in casualties, noting that the violence on frontline must stop for confidence to be restored and progress to be made in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

They urged the sides to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement, warning that violence undermines efforts to bring about peace.

Emphasizing the importance of measures aimed at avoiding unintended incidents along the line of contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the sides also considered the implementation at the earliest opportunity of the Presidents' agreement to exchange data on missing persons under the aegis of the ICRC.

The co-chairs also expressed concern about the critical voices of the ongoing negotiation process, the role of the Minsk Group co-chairs and the duties of OSCE monitors.

The co-chairs also plan to meet with Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia in the near future and then travel to the region, the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, Ivica Dacic, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister expressed concern at recent developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of contact of Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces.

Urging the sides to ensure a full cessation of hostilities as stipulated in the May 1994 agreement, Dacic expressed regret over acts of violence resulting in loss of lives. He said the contacts between presidents and at other levels, remain central to progress, and must be underpinned by a full ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.

Dacic added that OSCE continues to facilitate direct contacts between two sides “but it is the parties alone which can and must enforce a ceasefire”.

Lamberto Zannier, OSCE Secretary General expressed full support for the Chairman-in-Office’s statement and called on both sides to re-engage in the political process led by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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