Azerbaijan Must Publicly Renounce the Use of Force, Says Anna Naghdalyan

Anna Naghdalyan, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented on the violation of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan:

“As a result of Azerbaijan's deliberate violation of the ceasefire regime, serviceman Ashot Gevorgi Mikayelyan was fatally wounded by sniper fire on July 27. We express our deep condolences and support to the family members and relatives of the fallen serviceman.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan resorted to this provocation just days after a statement made by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, in which they emphasized the strict observance of the ceasefire regime and the need to refrain from provocative actions in the current situation.

At the same time, Azerbaijan is announcing large-scale military exercises with Turkey. All of this indicates that the Azerbaijani leadership is obstructing the efforts of international mediators to de-escalate the situation and resume the peace process through provocative actions, thereby taking on the responsibilities for further destabilization.

The Republic of Armenia's stance on the current situation was clearly expressed by the Prime Minister during the government session on July 23. Azerbaijan must publicly renounce the use of force, retreat from its maximalist positions, and take credible steps towards strengthening the ceasefire, which would create an opportunity for the restoration and advancement of the peace process.”