THE NUMBER OF SHOTS AT THE ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI BORDER
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
31.03.2010 16:02
Tavush

The OSCE held its recurrent planned monitoring of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line near Berkaber village in Ijevan
region. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Andrzej Kasprzyk, did not participate in the monitoring. The monitoring
was carried out by his Field Assistants and officials of the Armenian
Ministry of Defense.

Before the monitoring Tavush Marzpet Armen Ghularyan presented
the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. It turned out
that despite the 2008 decision of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to
withdraw the snipers from the front positions, the Azerbaijani side
has not taken steps in that direction and keeps the snipers on the
front line, which leads to human losses.

Marzpet Armen Ghularyan informed the OSCE representatives that doing
agricultural works in frontier villages has become impossible because
of periodic shooting from the Azerbaijani side.

In general, the number of shots at the Armenian Azerbaijani border
has increased. The number of cases totaled 4 500 in 2009, while the
figure has already reached 1 500 this year.

As for the monitoring, it was initially planned to be held near
the village of Koti. Azerbaijan had given its consent, but it later
refused, saying they would not be able to provide security guarantees.

The monitoring lasted seven minutes instead of the planned 30. The
Azerbaijani side demanded to stop it.