Intensified instances of Azeri ceasefire violations were reported at the frontline over the weekend, with Armenian positions and settlements shelled. Armenian side did not return the fire, Armenian media reported, citing Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan. The latter expressed hope for Azeri side to refrain from further violations in observation of Olympic truce.
According to the Karabakh defense army press service, 250 ceasefire violations by the Azeri armed forces were reported at the line of contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan from Feb 2-8.
Azerbaijan fired over 3500 shots from various caliber weapons towards Karabakh positions.
The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the United States of America) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to Baku and Yerevan Feb 4-5.
In Baku, the Co-chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and in Yerevan they met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. In both capitals, they had consultations with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
With the Presidents, the Co-chairs discussed the outcome of the Foreign Ministers' recent meeting in Paris, and stressed the need for further progress on the substance of negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. They emphasized the need to continue negotiations at the highest level, as was agreed in Vienna.
In their talks, the Co-chairs reiterated their deep concern over the recent escalation on the Line of Contact and the border, and called on the sides to exercise restraint in their actions and rhetoric. The sides stated their intention to strengthen observance of the ceasefire and avoid further escalation, particularly in light of the upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry urged for ceasefire in all the conflicts across the world for the duration of Winter Olympics in Sochi.
