Azernews.Az

By Aynur Karimova

Yerevan, ignoring all international calls to respect ceasefire agreement and reduce tension on the frontline, continues its occupation policy while constantly aggravating the situation on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops.

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.

Since the escalation of the situation on the frontline, both neighboring and world countries have expressed their concerns over human losses from both sides.

Moscow has already urged the sides to immediately stop the ceasefire violation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

“The Russian President, ministers of foreign affairs and defense have already expressed the country`s position on the incidents in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Defense minister Sergey Shoigu and I contacted our colleagues in Baku and Yerevan,” said Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov during a joint press conference with his Moldovan counterpart.

“We expressed our serious concern and reiterated the Russian president`s call to immediately stop violating the ceasefire regime. We hope our calls are heard,” he added.

Earlier, the Turkish side announced that Ankara will always support Azerbaijan over the conflict.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has voiced the importance of resolving the problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia immediately. "It [the problem along the contact line] should be solved within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," Cavusoglu told journalists in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on April 3.

He said that Karabakh and Azerbaijan's occupied-territories issue should be overcome through peaceful means and urged the international community to stop the expansion of Armenian expansionism and to make efforts to liberate the Azerbaijani territories annexed by the Armenians.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to hold Security Conference on April 4, one of the main topics of which will be the worsening of situation on the frontline of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has held a meeting with the country's Foreign Minister, the power ministers, the heads of relevant agencies and chairmen of parliamentary committees of Georgia on April 4.

The prime minister expressed concern due to the escalation of the situation and the resumption of hostilities, as a result of which there are casualties, including among the civilian population. He voiced hope that the efforts of the international community will be possible to de-escalate the situation, which is important for peace and stability in the whole region.

“Iran supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in Karabakh conflict,” Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsen Pak Ayeen made the remakr while commenting on the hostilities.

He further added that Karabakh is situated in Azerbaijani territory.

Furthermore, Tehran has warned Yerevan not to open fire on the Iranian territory, after the mortar shells fired by Armenian militaries landed in its territory.

Three mortar shells fired during military clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia fell to one of the villages of Iran, located near the border with Nagorno-Karabakh, the governor general of the East Azerbaijan province said, Farsnews.com reported.

"Currently, security is restored on the borders of East Azerbaijan province. But we will firmly respond to any aggression on the territory of our country," the governor general noted.

The Azerbaijani Government also received an offer of military assistance from the Pakistani Defense Ministry. Islamabad has proposed its assistance to Baku in providing military equipment, ammunition and equipment.

Belarus also voiced its support to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The country's Foreign Ministry reported that Belarus is deeply concerned about the resumption of active hostilities with the use of heavy weapons in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Belarus supports peaceful solution to the conflict in accordance with the generally recognized principles and norms of international law - respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, as well as the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and OSCE decisions.

Tbilisi also voiced its support to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, as Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli made a telephone conversation with her Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov. They discussed the latest situation on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

The Georgian minister expressed hope that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be resolved in a short term on the basis of norms of international law.

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.

A precarious cease-fire was signed in 1994. However, the Armenian forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline almost every day.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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