Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

U.S. co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick voiced concern about tensions on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

Violence and tensions along the line of contact undermine efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Warlick wrote on his Twitter page.

The ceasefire breaches by Armenian armed forces have kept tension high on the front line. The ceasefire violations continue to claim the life of innocent people as Armenia keeps the Azerbaijani territories under occupation for more the 20 years

Frequent ceasefire violations occur almost every day, causing great hardship for the people living near the frontline, as they are unable to live normal everyday lives and are always under a threat.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, 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's four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs, dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.