U.S. State Department rules out military solution of Karabakh conflict – a statement by Eric Rubin

July 16, 2015 By administrator

There has never been nor can ever be a military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Eric Rubin was reported by the Voice of America as saying in his speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“We consider this issue from the perspective of achieving a just, peaceful, long-term, mutually beneficial solution. It is from these positions that all should consider this issue because there is no better solution to the problem, and all other alternatives are so desperate that they should not even be considered, ” said Eric Rubin.

In his words, it is time for the sides to reaffirm their commitment to achieving progress in the peace talks. “It is not simple; to reach a settlement the parties will make a difficult choice on a number of issues, which is why the decision has not been reached yet, “Eric Rubin said.

The U.S. official said that the United States, along with two other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group from Russia and France, will continue to cooperate fully for the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh. Especially important are the efforts of co-chair countries to prevent escalation of the conflict.

“We clearly state that it is imperative that both countries have made everything possible in order not to aggravate the situation; in this tense and dangerous time it is critical to avoid incidents,” E. Rubin said.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs start meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Paris

October 27, 2014 By administrator

“The meeting of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs with Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents started,” Armenian President’s spokesperson Arman Saghatelyan wrote in his Twitter microblog.

Armenian and French Presidents held a bilateral meeting earlier in the Palais de l’Élysée, and later at 9pm (Yerevan time) French President is expected to convene trilateral meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents.

Baku to suffer repercussions if Karabakh tensions soar: Minister

June 6, 2014 By administrator

June 6, 2014 – 14:01 AMT

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan met with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk today, June 6.

Ohanyan called on Kasprzyk to take every possible step to ease tension on the Karabakh conflict contact line, as escalation of the tensions can lead to severe repercussions for Azeri side.

The OSCE representative expressed concern over recent events, pledging to take measures to ease the tension on the line of contact, the ministry press service reported.

As the Defense Ministry said earlier, current events are a logical continuation of recent actions of Azeri armed forces, acting in defiance of any peace-building initiative in an attempt to undermine the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to solve the Karabakh conflict.

In recent months, Azerbaijan has been continuously violating the ceasefire, shelling Armenian and Artsakh frontline, as well as border villages of Armenia.

Armenian soldiers Andranik Yeghoyan, 26 and Boris Gasparyan, 22 received deadly injures in the June 5 Azeri shelling on the border with Armenia.

An Armenian soldier was killed in Azeri sabotage attempt in the southern direction of the line of contact on the night of May 28.

On spotting the rival, the NKR army units acted to repel the attack, with 2 dead and 1 injured on Azeri side. The NKR defense army serviceman, corporal Erik Gasparyan, 19, died in action.

On May 23, Azeri forces have been shelling the village of Barekamavan and Armenian defense positions for around 6 hours. Azerbaijanis opened fire at a military vehicle heading to an outpost as well as a ZIL civil vehicle.

Some bullets damaged the roof of the house that belongs to Hovik Gharakeshishyan, former head of the village.

Azeri sabotage attempt was thwarted on the night of May 22 at the line of contact between the Krabakh defense army and Azeri armed forces.

The defense army acted to rebuff the attack, reportedly leaving 3 Azeri soldiers injured. Armenian soldier Arthur Ohanjanyan, aged 20, received a deadly injury in Azeri frontline shooting in the southern direction of the Line of Contact of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan’s troops on May 20.

On the morning of April 19, Azeri troops shelled settlements in Armenia’s Tavush province. Some of the villagers working in the vineyards managed to escape, yet others stayed put. The head of the village of Aygepar Andranik Aydinyan expressed concern over the fates of the latters, with mobile connection cut and no information available.

The village of Choratan was also fired on; the shelling started at 9 am and lasted for almost half an hour. As the head of the village Varuzhan Baghramyan said, “Azeri troops targeted peaceful villagers working in the gardens. Fortunately, no one was injured. Azeri shelling became a pretty common occurrence here.”

Border villages of Aygepar, Movses, Nerkin Karmiraghbryur in Armenia’s Tavush province were intensively shelled in a lengthy Azeri attack on the night of April 15.

On March 24, Garnik Torosyan, 22, was shot dead while on duty at the contact line between Karabakh and Azeri armed forces.

Nagorno Karabakh army soldier Arman Ghukasyan, 20, died from gunshot wounds while on duty on March 19; another serviceman, Varazdat Zakaryan was injured.

In late January, a Nagorno Karabakh army soldier, Karen Galstyan, aged 20, sustained a deadly injury in a sniper attack at the northern direction of the line of contact with the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Simultaneous attempts of penetration by the Azerbaijani subversive groups were recorded on January 19-20 in the north-eastern (Jraberd) and south-eastern (Korgan) directions of the line of contact. The front units of the armed forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic noticed the actions of the Azerbaijani subversive groups and started an organized defense in both directions.

The rival was thrown back suffering palpable human and material losses. Junior Sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan died from the wounds he received during the exchange of fire.

Azerbaijani mercenaries fighting in Syria

November 11, 2012 By administrator

November 10, 2012 – 20:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azerbaijani citizen Hasin Khazli was killed in Syria during neutralization of an armed group of terrorists, RFE/RL reported on October 19, citing Syrian news agency SANA. Ghazli was reported to have infiltrated Syria through Turkish-Syrian border as a part of a group of militants.

The fact that Azerbaijan offers support to Syrian rebels was no secret even before Khazli’s death. In October Iranian “arannews.ir” website reported that Baku extended assistance of euro 500 thous. to Syrian terrorists.

Azerbaijan together with Turkey has been actively involved in the Syrian conflict right from the start in backing the opposition.

Azeri mercenaries were even said to undergo special training in Turkey’s province of Hatay before getting to Syria, with the largest number of Azeris reported in Turkish Apaydyn camp, according to Voskanapat.info.

In late August, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused the Turkish government of masterminding Syrian unrest, stating that “Turkey claims direct responsibility for the bloodshed in the country.”

On November 9, Iranian “arannews.ir” reported, citing Syrian state television that Azerbaijani citizen bearing “Islamov” second name was killed in neutralization of terrorist groups by Syrian government forces. The terrorist group was reported to consist of mainly citizens from Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

The Azeri terrorist killed in Syria was later identified as Islamov Zahur Aleskerovich, born in 1975, Voskanapat.info reported.

Photographs of other three Azerbaijani terrorists killed in Syria were later discovered.