OSCE expresses concerns over contact line tensions
By Sara Rajabova
OSCE's Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk has voiced concern over the escalation of the situation on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.
"Recently, several worrying incidents were reported on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line and the border, which indicates that the tension is high," Kasprzyk said in his exclusive interview with Trend news agency.
Kasprzyk noted that every casualty is a tragedy, not least for the families of those affected.
"My team and I are regularly monitoring the front lines, last on May 19 and June 10, and the reports we received during these exercises are consistent with this picture. The incidents occur on a specific location, however the tension then spreads along the lines," he said.
Kasprzyk underscored that the ceasefire is in force though the agreement reached between the parties.
"It is therefore the responsibility of the sides to ensure that their troops do not violate the cease-fire on the line of contact and the border. It is up to the commanders of the respective forces to implement it, and every violation is an indication of the need to improve this implementation," Kasprzyk said.
He went on to add that the chairmanship of the OSCE, the Minsk Group co-chairs and he himself are working to strengthen the ceasefire and find ways to mitigate the consequences of these incidents.
"Relevant proposals were formulated and presented for consideration. The ultimate responsibility however lies with the sides to adhere to the ceasefire agreement. I am also concerned about the safety of my team, as the mounting tension puts us at risk when performing our duties in the trenches along the front-lines," Kasprzyk stressed.
Back in January, Armenian armed forces fired the OSCE monitoring group members who arrived in the contact line to monitor the ceasefire violations under the mandate of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative.
"For such data, we rely on the information provided for us and published by the military authorities. The number of shots fired and violations is high, according to this information. The number of casualties this year is already higher than of the previous year," Kasprzyk said commenting on the number of violations on the contact line.
As a result of Armenian sabotage on the frontline, three soldiers of Azerbaijan's armed forces were killed at the end of May and beginning of June.
The Armenian armed forces have intensified ceasefire violations on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops since the beginning of 2014. As a result of ceasefire breaches, several Azerbaijani soldiers were shot dead.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.
Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994, but Armenia has continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for their immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
Peace talks mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. have produced no results so far.