ARMENIAN MINISTER BLAMES "SERIOUS" TRUCE VIOLATION ON AZERBAIJAN

Mediamax
March 4 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 4 March: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan informed
today on serious violation of truce by theAzerbaijani side, as a
result of which there are killed and injured.

"On 3 March, in the northeastern part of Martakert region of Nagornyy
Karabakh, Azerbaijan took up seriousencroachment on our positions.

The given incident differs from the previous violations of truce from
the Azerbaijaniside by its volume and the used armament. The skirmish
continues till now, as a result of which there are killed andinjured.

>From the Armenian side there is one injured, the Azerbaijani side
has informed on two people dead", VardanOskanyan stated, speaking at
a briefing in Yerevan today.

Mediamax reports that the Armenian Foreign Minister noted that the
Armenian side initially yielded to the enemy oneof the positions
occupied, however, as a result it was managed to return it.

Vardan Oskanyan informed that at present, the OSCE Minsk Group US
Co-chair Matthew Bryza and the personalrepresentative of the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, are in Baku and are holding
talks on re-establishmentof truce.

"Bryza and Kasprzyk did not manage to reach success, since Azerbaijan
agreed to truce only if it preserved thegiven position. Now, when
the given position is returned, I believe it will be easier to reach
consent", VardanOskanyan stated.

"We absolutely condemn such actions of Azerbaijan and call on to the
soon return to a ceasefire order",Armenian foreign minister stated,
expressing opinion that "Baku obviously tried to speculate on the
internalpolitical situation in Armenia, evidently deciding that all
our attention is concentrated on the internalissues".

Vardan Oskanyan also stated that Azerbaijan took up attack on the
"diplomatic front" as well. Inparticular, Azerbaijan presented to
the consideration of the UN General Assembly the draft of the new
resolution onNagornyy Karabakh, the voting on which is planned for
14 March. According to the minister, the Armenian diplomacy isworking
on the prevention of the resolution and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair
states are against the givenresolution.