STEPANAKERT. – The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Ministry of Defense (NKR MOD) welcomes Personal Representative to Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk’s appeal to adhere to the ceasefire during Easter and Nowruz.

The NKR Ministry of Defense issued a statement to this effect.  

“It should be noted that during the whole period of armed confrontation the NKR Defense Army has been taking steps at strengthening confidence and easing of the tensions unilaterally, and is ready to comply with this stance during the period mentioned by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,” the statement also reads. “At the same time, it was expected that the statement of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry would express clear readiness to adhere to the cease-fire and refrain from any provocations.

“It should be noted that, in 2012, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic put forward similar proposals to withdraw snipers from the Line of Contact and to refrain from any provocative actions during religious holidays (such as Easter and Nowruz). Despite mediators’ support of the proposals, they were rejected by the Azerbaijan.”