NKR AUTHORITIES SEND NOTE TO OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE

Noyan Tapan

Nov 17, 2008

STAPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The NKR Foreign Ministry on
November 17 issued a statement, the full text of which is presented
below.

"Early in the morning of November 16, the special purpose detachment of
the Azerbaijani armed forces made an attempt to penetrate into the rear
of the NKR defence army in the south-eastern direction of the NKR armed
forces, thus violating the requirements of the ceasefire regime. As a
result of the measures taken by the NKR defence army’s servicemen on
duty, the group was thrown back to its previous positions, suffering
losses (the body of a killed person was left behind near the front
position of the NKR defence army).

On the morning of November 16, the NKR Foreign Ministry immediately
informed the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office about this incident, at the same
time proposing to conduct an immediate crisis-monitoring in the
given section of the contact line of the armed forces of the NKR
and Azerbaijan.

The Foreign Ministry underlines the fact that the Azerbaijani side made
this attempt of penetration during a visit of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office
to the NKR, and immediately after the Moscow Declaration signed
recently by the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which
in particular states that the sides are ready to contribute to the
establishment of an atmosphere of stability and security in the region
– through settlement of the Karabakh conflict in a political way.

Noting that this is not the first attack made this year by subversive
groups of Azerbajiani armed forces on the front positions of the NKR
armed forces, the Foreign Ministry reminds that the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic has repeatedly called the attention of mediators to the
necessity of urgent measures that the international community should
take for establishing a ceasefire regime in the Karabakh conflict
zone and ensuring the irreversiility of peace.

Taking into account official Baku’s deconstructive steps which,
unfortunately, did not receive a proper political assessment of
international mediators, the Ministry puts all responsibility for the
possible increase of the tension at the contact line on the leadership
of Azerbaijan.

A note expressing the official view of the NKR authorities on this
issue has been sent to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office".