Defense Minister of Armenia: Karabakh conflict must not be settled by
force methods

2008-03-22 21:47:00

ArmInfo. There are cease-fire violations on the contact-line with
Azerbaijani armed forces, but they are less intensive than at the
beginning of the month, Defense Minister of Armenia Mikael Haroutunyan
told journalists in response to ArmInfo question about the present
situation on the contact-line.

The minister said that by 40-45 violations were registered daily at the
beginning of the month. ‘Last night, we registered 12 shots’, the
minister said. He also added that the cease-fire is violated not only
on the contact line of NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces, but also on
the contact-line with Armenian armed forces in the area of Ijevan and
Noyemberyan. ‘The situation is fully under control’, the minister said.
Azerbaijan celebrates Novruz Bairam and has intensified the frontier
guard. As regards 4 March attempt by the Azerbaijani party to seize a
Karabakhi frontier post, Mikael Haroutunyan said: ‘Evidently, the
Azerbaijani leadership understands that one should not make such steps
as they did on 4 March, since they saw the circumstances’. ‘I am sure
they are aware that Karabakh conflict must not be settled by force, it
must be settled at the negotiating table’, the minister said.