Washington concerned over situation on Azerbaijani-Armenian troops’ contact line
The United States is deeply concerned about the situation on the contact line between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Robert Cekuta, the US ambassador to Baku, told reporters.
He made the remarks on September 28 while commenting on recent violence on the contact line.
The ambassador said it is important that two sides come together for negotiation.
He also recalled that the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs organized a meeting with foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“We are looking forward to a meeting of the two countries’ presidents by the end of the year,” said Cekuta. “The important thing is for the sides to come together and work together to find peaceful negotiated solution.”
The situation on the frontline remains tense as the Armenian military continues to break the ceasefire, the Azerbaijani defense ministry reported.
However, the enemy’s attempts to infiltrate the contact line were prevented during the day and at night on September 27, as a result of the preventive measures taken by the Azerbaijani armed forces.
Seven servicemen were killed and several were injured in a strike at the frontline trenches and positions of the Armenian military units, as well as at rallying points for military personnel and equipment, the ministry said.
Three servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces –Valiyev Rauf, Ahmadzade Neman, and Mustafazade Zohrab-- died in the battles with the enemy in various directions of the frontline.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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