RUSSIA CALLS ON AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA TO AVOID VIOLATION OF CEASEFIRE

Trend News Agency
Dec 25 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 25 /Trend News, R.Novruzov/ Russia calls on
Azerbaijan and Armenia to avoid violation of ceasefire.

Conflicting parties should resolve this type of situation, Russian
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vasili Istratov told reporters on Dec. 25,
commenting on the murder of an Azerbaijani civilian in Hasangaya
village in Terter region by snipers of the Armenian Armed Forces. As a
result of an open fire by snipers armed forces of Armenia on December
23 at approximately 23:00 was killed by a citizen of Azerbaijan Afig
Mamedov, 1954 birth, which pass close to the cattle line of fire,
said a regional correspondent of Trend News.

Afig Mammadov, 54, was killed by Armenian Armed Forces’ snipers
on Dec. 23 at about 23.00. He was pusturing cattle nearby troops
contact line.

His body was found in the morning of Dec. 24.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan
and Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev signed a declaration at the end of
their meeting in Mein Dorf castle near Moscow on 2 November. In the
declaration, the parties undertake to observe ceasefire at the troops
contact line.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in
1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in
December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha,
Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The countries keep on fruitless peace
negotiating. OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by USA, Russia, France is
engaged in peace settling of the conflict.