Yesterday, the German Foreign Minister and later his American colleague telephoned the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs – the three top officials were concerned about the drastic escalation of the situation on the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The hostilities have already led to numerous deaths, including the deaths of peaceful citizens. Lavrov, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the current chairman of the OSCE had a common view that the conflict in the region had no military settlement. They urged the sides to exercise restraint and cease fire immediately, and return to the framework of the negotiating process under the OSCE Minsk Group. John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov shared the view that it was necessary to intensify efforts by Russia, the USA and France, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group. The parties also criticized attempts by separate ‘foreign players’ to stir up the confrontation in Karabakh.
Recall that on the night of April 2nd all the border positions of Azerbaijan were shelled from large-caliber weapons, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and guns of the Armenian Armed Forces. In addition, a number of shots were fired at settlements near the frontline, densely populated by civilians. Students, representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora, as well as public and political figures came to honor the memory of those killed in recent days in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We're now placing flowers, pictures in memory of the victims who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Karabakh, for our land. Of course, we will not forget their names. In all areas, where these guys lived, they are laid now in the earth, and all their fellow countrymen gather and pay their last tributes of respect, which could be given by those who live to those who left today. But they passed away for a sacred cause, they were killed for their land, they have poured their blood for Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani people will never forget.
I would like to say to all people of good will of Russia that the peaceful people of Azerbaijani do not want to fight, but we are forced to do so. And no country, no nation will give up even an inch of its land. Like Azerbaijan. While Azerbaijanis are alive, no one will relinquish Karabakh. And those who want to resolve this issue should approach this from the position that this is Azerbaijani land, and sooner or later it will be part of Azerbaijan,” Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia, said.
“These young guys, the killed soldiers, they defended their land, they fought for the return of their land. There is fighting, people are dying, and we rely only on reason and God. We hope that, finally, reason comes to their heads, returns to the heads of the Armenian politicians, and the war will be stopped, and Karabakh and the seven regions will be returned to Azerbaijan,” Dmitry Savelyev, deputy of the State Duma, deputy head of the Russian-Azerbaijani parliamentary group, told Vestnik Kavkaza.
“On April 2nd such events occurred, which indicate that those provocations that have occurred on a regular basis from the Armenian side against Azerbaijan received an appropriate response. And the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have demonstrated their readiness. The Azerbaijani soldiers and later the entire Azerbaijani population demonstrated their willingness to defend their homeland. Therefore, in my opinion, this is an unstoppable process. That is, it will surely be stopped as an armed conflict, but it means that today there is no more patience to leave this problem in an unresolved condition. That is, it is necessary for the parties to sit down at the negotiating table, it is necessary to find a solution within the framework of international law.
There are already a large number of decisions by various international organizations, which confirm that, of course, Karabakh, and even more, the seven occupied regions are an integral part of Azerbaijan. Of course they must be returned de facto to Azerbaijan.
I hope that this strong will of Azerbaijan will be understood; and the call of Azerbaijan to resolve everything peacefully, and it was done by declaring a unilateral cease-fire, will be heard. The negotiations will finally begin, but it will begin in a much more intensive mode.
Russia is very interested in there being peace in the immediate vicinity of its borders, peace and tranquility. I think that Russia will certainly contribute to a peaceful solution of this problem,” Natalia Krasouskaya, director of the Russian-Azerbaijani Friendship Society, told Vestnik Kavkaza.
