NKR Office: Aliyev Ordered Deadly Skirmish in Karabagh

The Office of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in the U.S. issued the following statement on the recent Azerbaijani attack‏ on Karabagh defense forces.

WASHINGTON—On the night of June 18-19, an Azerbaijani military unit, acting in violation of 1994 ceasefire agreement, crossed the Line of Contact and attacked a forward defense position of the Nagorno-Karabagh Defense Army near Chailu, Mardakert District. The resulting skirmish left four Armenian soldiers dead and four wounded; the Azerbaijani unit retreated leaving one of their dead at Armenian positions.

This act of aggression represents a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and other commitments by Azerbaijan—most recently the Moscow Declaration of 2008—to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The attack, ordered by Azerbaijan’s leadership 24 hours after the most recent high-level Armenia-Azerbaijan summit hosted by Russia’s president on June 17, represents a challenge not just to Nagorno-Karabagh and Armenia, but also the mediating countries—France, Russia, and the United States—and all members of the international community interested in regional peace and stability.

This most recent brazen action by Azerbaijan also comes shortly after high-level U.S. efforts to reassure Azerbaijan of continued U.S. interests coming on the back of Azerbaijan’s demarches against the U.S. and U.S.-sponsored Armenia-Turkey normalization process. These efforts reportedly include a phone call placed to President Aliyev by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a visit to Baku by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates earlier this month to deliver a letter from President Obama.

In that letter letter, President Obama reiterated the American vision of a peaceful and stable South Caucasus, and called upon authorities in Baku to remain adherent to a political resolution of the Karabagh problem.

Disregarding the international approach towards the issue, Azerbaijan launched a brutal terrorist-like attack, which indicates once again that the country remains unwilling to abandon its revanchist aspirations. Moreover, this act jeopardizes OSCE mediators’ efforts to find a workable solution to the lasting confrontation.

The Nagorno Karabagh Republic remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Azerbaijan. Artsakh’s [Karabagh’s] authorities support negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia, and France.

The international community, for its part, is encouraged to resolutely condemn continued provocations by Azerbaijan and hold its leadership accountable for the escalation of tensions in the region.

The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is based in Washington, D.C. and works with the U.S. government, academia, and the public representing the official policies and interests of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.