YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed deep condolences to the relatives and colleagues of servicemen who died yesterday and today as a result of the flagrant violation of ceasefire by the Azerbaijani armed forces at the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry reminds of the recent statement by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group condemning the violations of the ceasefire and pointing to Azerbaijan as a party to open fire.

“It is by such provocations that Azerbaijan reacts to this targeted statement, thus demonstrating its contempt. Decision to hold large-scale military exercises on the eve of co-chairs’ visit to Baku without international notification, the violations of the indefinite trilateral ceasefire agreements of 1994-1995, new steps aimed at aggravating the situation are another challenge thrown by Azerbaijan's top leadership to the international community and first of all to the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Lack of a proper response to this challenge can be considered by Azerbaijan as an encouragement.

It is obvious that Baku, being unable to lead the process of peaceful settlement in the direction it prefers, is trying to create the illusion of achieving an advantage at the front line, which is also doomed to failure, and is fraught with unpredictable consequences, first of all, for the party initiating tensions,” the statement says.