We express our deepest condolences to the relatives and fellow servicemen of soldiers who fell today and yesterday as a result of flagrant violation of ceasefire by the armed forces of Azerbaijan along the Line of Contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

In their last statement the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs condemned the ceasefire violations identifying Azerbaijan as the first to open fire. It is with such provocations that Baku reacts to this targeted statement thus demonstrating all its disrespect.

On the eve of the Co-Chairs visit the high leadership of Azerbaijan challenges the international community, first and foremost the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group by holding large scale military drills without relevant notification required by the international commitments, continuously violating the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements, as well as taking new steps aimed at the escalation of situation. The absence of an adequate response can be perceived by Azerbaijan as an encouragement for new adventurism.

It is obvious that Baku failed to move the peaceful settlement process through its desired path and now it tries to create an illusion of gaining an advantage on the frontline that is also doomed to fail and fraught with unpredictable consequences, primarily to the side initiating escalation of situation.