OSCE Minsk Group concerned with death of Azerbaijani soldier during Olympic truce

The U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, James Warlick, has expressed concern on his official Twitter account over the death of a soldier of the Azerbaijani army during the ceasefire for the time of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

"Media report the death of an Azerbaijan soldier along the border with Armenia. What happened to the Olympic truce?" the American diplomat tweeted.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs expressed their deep concern over continued violence in the region, according to the organization's statement on the results of the Paris meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The co-chairs stressed that recent incidents undermine negotiations and diminish the prospects for peace.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.


/Trend/