Foreign Minister Nalbandian holds phone talks with colleagues abroad

April 4, 2016 - 11:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Following the large-scale military actions unleashed by ‪Azerbaijan‬ against ‪Artsakh‬, Foreign Minister Edward ‪Nalbandian on April 2 and 3 had a number of phone talks with his foreign counterparts, briefing them about the situation on the line of contact between ‪Nagorno Karabakh‬ and Azerbaijan.

Nalbandian discussed the recent developments with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‬, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, OSCE‬ Chairperson-in-Office and German foreign policy chief Frank-Walter Steinmeier, ‪ Secretary General of Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland, CSTO‬ Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick, Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, as well as EU‬ Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Herbert Salber.

Armenia’s Ambassadors to foreign countries and Permanent Representatives to international organizations provide regular updates on frontline developments to the authorities of hosting countries and heads of international organizations.

Dozens of countries and international organizations condemned the resumption of military actions, called upon the immediate cessation of fire and emphasized that the exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh‬ conflict has no alternative.

On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

As many as 18 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 35-40 were wounded in the course of military operations. A civilian, 11-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan was also killed, with 6 other civilians, including two kids, wounded.

As of April 4, the Azerbaijani side has lost 18 tanks and over 5 armored vehicles, including an IFV, as well as 2 military helicopters and 3 unmanned aerial vehicles.

One Karabakh tank has been destroyed so far.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.