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UN, EU concerned about escalation of situation around Nagorno-Karabakh

23 June 2017 12:41 (UTC+04:00)
UN, EU concerned about escalation of situation around Nagorno-Karabakh

By Rashid Shirinov

The international community has voiced concerns over developments around the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as skirmishes have become more frequent over the past months.

The Armenian side increased the provocations against Azerbaijan on the line of contact on the eve of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ visit to Baku. Today, the Armenian side keeps attacking the Azerbaijani troops on the frontline every day.

The United Nations called on the parties to avoid further escalation and to consider measures that would reduce tensions.

The UN shares the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ concern over the recent ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh, Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted in a statement on June 22.

“We take note of the June 19 statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group following their recent travel to the region. We share the Co-Chairs’ concern over the recent ceasefire violations, which have resulted in regrettable casualties in the line of contact,” the statement reads.

“We also join the Co-Chairs in urging the parties to re-engage in negotiations on substance, in good faith and with political will,” the statement reads, further elaborating that the United Nations stands ready to support such efforts, if needed.

European Union Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic, in turn, stressed that the recent violations of ceasefire on the front line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region are “a stark reminder that the status quo is unsustainable.”

“The EU expects de-escalation and restraint in deeds as well as in words”, added Kocijancic.

The European Union called on the parties to reduce tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh and at the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and re-engage in negotiations on substance.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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