OSCE official visits occupied territories after interrupted monitoring
By Sara Rajabova
Following the increase of Armenia’s provocative acts on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops, personal representative of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has visited the region.
Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Armenian media reported.
Kasprzyk arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh in connection with the situation on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.
He met with head of the separatist regime Bako Sahakyan.
Armenian armed forces fired at OSCE representatives, as well as Azerbaijani positions during the monitoring on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on January 14.
Armenian armed forces again resorted to provocations during the OSCE monitoring that was held on the contract line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops near the village of Horadiz in the Fizuli region.
This is not the only case that Armenian armed forces grossly violate the ceasefire regime with Azerbaijan during OSCE’s monitoring operation.
In late October 2014, despite being informed earlier about the OSCE monitoring operation, the Armenian troops continued their provocative moves on the contact line.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.
Armenia continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of armed forces.
Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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