The Armenian side has never opposed the idea of peacekeepers’ deployment in Nagorno Karabakh, President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

“Though we have never opposed this idea, I believe the conflict should be fully and finally resolved,” the President said.

“We expressed readiness to sign a document for a comprehensive settlement that would also envisage the deployment of peacekeepers on both sides. But Azerbaijanis rejected the proposal.”

Asked about the efforts to prevent the bloodshed, the President said that Armenia did its utmost to curb the violence.

“Some three years ago, Azerbaijan rejected two out of three proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group, seeking to settle the conflict exclusively under the principle of territorial integrity. Besides anti-Armenian demarches and aggressive behavior towards our country, Azerbaijan has increased its military budget manifold, also expanding its bellicose rhetoric,” Sargsyan said.

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral ceasefire along the contact line which came into force at 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 44 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 122 were wounded in the course of military operations.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drones, whereas the Armenian side's photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.