Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan is committed to observing the ceasefire regime with Armenia, Defense Ministry deputy spokesman Teymur Abdullayev has said, dismissing Armenian media reports alleging that ceasefire breaches by the opposing side have increased on the contact line of the two countries’ troops.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war over Nagorno Karabakh that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994. Armenia has occupied part of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory since then. OSCE-brokered peace talks have been largely fruitless so far and sporadic clashes on the frontline continue. Though the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh declared so-called independence in 1991, this "independence" has not been recognized by the world community.

The Armenian reports quoted the "defense ministry" of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh republic as saying that Azerbaijan’s armed forces had repeatedly opened fire upon Armenian positions on the frontline last week and that the Armenian side retaliated.

Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to reinforce the ceasefire and swap prisoners of war and the bodies of soldiers killed in clashes in a joint statement signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan in conclusion of Russian-brokered talks in late October.