The Armenian armed forces have started to use ammunition prohibited by international conventions, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported today. Baku is convinced that the Armenian troops want to force the Azerbaijani side to initiate active military operations by means of these provocations. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, has sent to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Security Council chairman, Louis Michel, and the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Paul Eberhard, a letter in connection with the aggravation of the situation on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, calling for Armenia to be condemned for violating the ceasefire agreement achieved on April 5th.
Now, during the days of the 7th UN Global Alliance of Civilizations Forum being held in Baku, attacks are continuing on the positions of the Azerbaijani Army along the frontline and the area where civilians live compactly, with large-caliber weapons, including D-30 howitzers. Yesterday the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Robert Sekuta, urged the sides of the conflict to work on a peace agreement and a ceasefire regime, and the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said: "Now it is required more than ever to show restraint and work towards the restoration of stability. The parties need to resume the negotiating process, which will be aimed at achieving a sustainable peace process. We believe it is fundamentally important to step up efforts to reduce the risk of war on the basis of the existing agreements."
According to Zakharova, the primary task is to cool the situation, preventing further aggression and bloodshed, to restore an atmosphere conducive to resolving the situation and to start the negotiating process
