Council of Europe ready to facilitate dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, November 17, /ARKA/. The Secretary General of the 47-nation Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has made the following statement concerning relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan:

“I am concerned about reports of on-going incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan that have already cost human lives. News of a ceasefire is welcome and I call on both sides to maintain it.

“When joining our organization more than twenty years ago, both Armenia and Azerbaijan committed themselves to solving conflict by peaceful means. This commitment remains unchanged and must be strictly respected.

“The Council of Europe reiterates its full support to the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in their continuing efforts to help Armenia and Azerbaijan find a peaceful solution to their differences.

“We stand ready to facilitate dialogue between these two member states, with a view to building confidence and promoting reconciliation.”

The situation on Armenia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan, where on November 16 Azerbaijani forces attempted to break through the Armenia’s state border before being repelled by Armenian troops is relatively stable, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry.

It said the enemy has up to 70 killed and wounded servicemen, as well as significant losses of military hardware, including 4 armored personnel carriers, 1 armored vehicle Sandcat, and 5 Russian-made trucks.

It said as of today morning there is verified data about one victim, private Meruzhan Harutyunyan, a contract soldier born in 1991.

It said also that communication with 24 more servicemen was lost during the clashes and their fate is currently unknown. ‘Intensive work is underway to find servicemen. Two combat positions have been taken by the enemy,’ it said. -0-