U.S. envoy calls for reduction of Armenian-Azerbaijani border tensions

By Asbarez | Friday, 13 June 2014

 

U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar


BAKU (PanArmenian.net)—Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Friday, the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan confessed to having no update on the Sargsyan-Aliyev presidential meeting, APA reported.

 

“We hope that this meeting will be soon, I think such a meeting will be important”, Richard Morningstar told journalists, commenting on a possible meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The ambassador also dwelled on the recent escalation of violence on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, noting that the U.S. and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs take every effort to prevent further escalation.

“We hope that both Azerbaijan and Armenia will take steps to reduce tension on the line of contact,” he concluded.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry said earlier that current events are a logical continuation of recent actions by 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, firing at military posts along the Armenian and Artsakh frontline, as well as at border villages of Armenia.

Armenian soldiers Andranik Yeghoyan, 26, and Boris Gasparyan, 22, received deadly injures on June 5 when Azeri forces fired at them on the border.

An Armenian soldier was killed in an attempted Azerbaijani raid in the southern regions of the “Line of Contact” on the night of May 28.

On spotting the rival, the Karabakh army units acted to repel the attack, with 2 dead and 1 injured on the Azerbaijani side. A Karabakh Defense Army serviceman, Corporal Erik Gasparyan, 19, died in action.

On May 23, Azeri forces shelled the village of Barekamavan and Armenian defense positions for around 6 hours.

An Azeri raid 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 from Azeri fire in the southern region of the “Line of Contact” between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan 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 latter, with communication links cut and no information available.

The village of Choratan was also fired on; the shelling started at 9 a.m. and lasted for almost half an hour. As the head of the village Varuzhan Baghramyan said, “Azeri troops targeted peaceful villagers working in their gardens. Fortunately, no one was injured. Azeri shelling has become 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 “Line of Contact” 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 to 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 organised defense in both directions.

Azeri forces were thwarted back, suffering palpable human and material losses. Junior Sergeant Armen Hovhannisyan died from the wounds he received during the exchange of fire.

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