“The signing of the agreement on cessation of hostilities and military actions on May 12, 1994 between Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has no time limitations, became possible as the leadership of Azerbaijan initiated direct negotiations with the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said, commenting on the 22nd anniversary of ceasefire agreement.
“This comes to prove that progress in the conflict resolution is possible only in case of Nagorno-Karabakh’s full participation in the negotiation process,” he said in comments to Armenpress.
“We should also outline that the maintenance of 1994 ceasefire is an international commitment of the sides, and resumption of military actions against Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan on April 2-5 is a gross violation of that commitment, as well, and an explicit demonstration of aggression,” the Deputy Foreign Minister added.
“Azerbaijan’s April aggression proved to everyone that over the past 22 years Baku has used the negotiation process as a cover to arm and resolve the issue through military means, which has been the main reason behind the maintenance of the status-quo in the conflict zone,” Shavarsh Kocharyan noted.
“The calls of the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries to strictly preserve and consolidate the ceasefire established by the 1994 trilateral agreement as a basis for peaceful negotiations are quite understandable,” he concluded.