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OSCE MG, UN urge Karabakh conflict sides to prevent any escalation in region

24 April 2018 16:37 (UTC+04:00)
OSCE MG, UN urge Karabakh conflict sides to prevent any escalation in region

By Rashid Shirinov

After the latest political events in Armenia, where the Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan has resigned after the public dissatisfaction, the OSCE Minsk Group and the UN have issued statements where the organizations call on Azerbaijan and Armenia to avoid escalation in the region.

“In light of recent political developments in the region and the possibility of escalation along the line of contact, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict underscore the critical importance of the sides respecting the ceasefire at this delicate time and, in particular, keeping heavy equipment positioned in the rear of the frontlines,” reads a statement by the OSCE Minsk Group on April 23.

It further says that the co-chairs call on the sides to take immediate measures to reduce tensions, and look forward to meeting with the parties as soon as possible to renew intensified negotiations to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his statement joined the appeal by the OSCE’s Minsk Group. Guterres urged all sides to prevent any potential escalations along the line of contact and to intensify efforts toward a peaceful negotiated solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, 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.

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.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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