Azernews.Az

BAKU – OSCE chairman Audronius Azubalis’ suggestion to remove snipers from the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops has been rejected, he said after wrapping up his visit to the South Caucasus region.

"The presence of snipers is benefiting neither of the sides either militarily or politically," he told a Russian news agency. "To the contrary, if the snipers are pulled back, this would yield good results. I offered Armenia to unilaterally pull them back to show a good example, but just like in Azerbaijan, my proposal was rejected."

A nine-year-old resident of Azerbaijan’s Aghdam region was shot in the head by a sniper while playing in the courtyard on March 8 in a ceasefire violation by Armenian troops. Baku condemned the killing, accusing Yerevan of provocations and attempts to derail peace talks.

Azubalis said that during talks in Baku and Yerevan, he expressed his deep concern over the extensive armament of both countries. "This shows a lack of confidence, while negotiations are held only when there is no tension."

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a brutal war that ended with the signing of a fragile cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding regions, has been occupied by Armenian armed forces since the war. Peace talks have largely accomplished no result so far.

The OSCE chairman said his visit to the South Caucasus was beneficial for collecting the required information and exploring ways of advancing a settlement of the conflicts flaring in the region.

"If we look separately at the developments ongoing in the South Caucasus countries, we will see that there is certain progress in terms of reforms and democracy. But without sources of tension and conflicts, these processes may occur faster."

Azubalis visited Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia March 14-17.