Foreign Minister holds more Karabakh talks with colleagues, top officials

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian continues communicating about Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh with his colleagues abroad and heads of international organizations.

The Minister, in particular, had telephone talks with his German counterpart, OSCE Charman-in-Office Frank-Walter-Steinmeier, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze, Belarus' foreign policy chief Vladimir Makei, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Also, the Armenian Minister talked to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and the Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Michaëlle Jean.

According to Nalbandian, Azerbaijan combines military actions with propagandist misinformation seeking to justify its aggressive steps, the targeting of civilian population and settlements.

The parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral ceasefire along the contact line which came into force at 12:00 midday, April 5.

Prior to that, 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 20 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 72 were wounded in the course of military operations. In addition, 4 civilians and 5 volunteers have been killed.

26 Karabakh soldiers have gone missing so far.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 29 tanks and over 5 armored vehicles, including an IFV, as well as 1 TOS-1A Solntsepyok multiple rocket launcher, 1 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 2 military helicopters and 7 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Seven Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.