MOSCOW, WASHINGTON—Russia, together with other co-chairing countries of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, will continue targeted efforts in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman said Thursday, a day after Azerbaijani forces shot down an unarmed Artsakh military helicopter, killing three people.
“Russia calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from moves which could lead to the escalation of tensions,” the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday, TASS reports.
“We are very concerned about the incident which has led to the deaths of people. We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” Lukashevich said, adding that Russia’s stance was reflected in the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group on November 12.
The spokesman said that Russia reminds the leadership of Azerbaijan and Armenia of their “responsibility towards complying with their commitments on searching for a peaceful resolution of the conflict which they took at the meeting in Sochi, Newport and Paris.”
The United States and the European Union similarly echoed international mediators’ concerns of an escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resulting from Wednesday’s incident.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, also called for an inquiry into the incident which could lead to another upsurge in fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) reports.
“It is essential that all sides show restraint and avoid any actions or statements which could escalate the situation. Furthermore, we call for an investigation into this incident,” read a statement issued by Mogherini’s office late on Wednesday.
“Both sides have to strictly respect the ceasefire, to refrain from the use of force or any threat thereof, and to resume efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” added the statement.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki similarly said that the incident is “yet another reminder” of the need to reduce tensions in the conflict zone. There can be “no military solution to the conflict,” Psaki told reporters in Washington.
“We urge all sides to respect the ceasefire and not to take any actions to escalate the situation,” Kate Byrnes, the acting head of the U.S. mission to the OSCE, said on Thursday.
Byrnes spoke at a meeting of the OSCE’s governing Permanent Council in Vienna, which discussed the Karabakh conflict and the downing of the Armenian helicopter in particular. The U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group briefed the council on their ongoing efforts to revive the Karabakh peace process.
“A wider conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is in no one’s interest,” James Warlick, the U.S. co-chair tweeted ahead of the Vienna meeting.
NATO also warned against an escalation in violence. The incident “is absolutely not conducive to the peaceful resolution of this conflict,” NATO’s Liason Officer in the South Caucasus William Lahue told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop for reporters organized within the framework of NATO Week in Armenia.
“Military actions serve to inhibit the ability of the parties to resolve such a conflict,” he said, adding that “NATO would like to see the parties engaged in peaceful negotiations and discussions to resolve this conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group format.”
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to honor their 20-year-old truce on Thursday, Reuters reports.
The OSCE, which has led talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the war, said it should not lead to new violence.
“The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter … appeals to the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to do their utmost to prevent such incidents and to honor the ceasefire regime,” the OSCE said in a statement.
Footage from the Azeri side showed the helicopter explode in the air over the neutral zone between the two sides and officials said the three crew members were killed.
Armenia promised “painful” consequences for Azerbaijan after it downed the helicopter, which had been carrying out training exercises.
The Azeri defense ministry said an army officer had been honored for shooting down the aircraft.
Since last summer Baku has been trying hard to draw Armenia into a serious confrontation on the border. Their purpose is to cause a situation in the region which would derail Yerevan’s upcoming membership in the Eurasian Union. So, this provocation by Baku has geopolitical undertones. Yes, Armenia has to respond in some manner, but the response has to be measured/asymmetrical. We can’t start a war simply because that is what Turks want. Going forward, we need to better protect our forces and hit back at a time of our choosing. Once Armenia becomes a full member in the Eurasian Union these provocations will gradually come to a halt.
I’d say : eye for an eye. Attack back ,give them a double tasste of their own medicine. asonk vayrak martig yen giankernoun metch tourkere mart chen ellar sadana yen. asonk mian zenkov e vor gae hasgenen.
What a BS. Azarbaijan is the aggressor ! Why not condemn Azerbaijan first ! Then “ask Armenia” not to retaliate.
THREE MORE HECTARS OF LAND WE’LL HAVE TO RETAIN FROM THE AZERY SIDE WHEN ALL THIS IS OVER.
Really ? They want us to talk to mongul
Azeris about what? We want justice comb there oil field
And send they mongul to the stone ages where
They belong!
Now the blinking world,knows how manical is the bastard little brother of jerky turkey..
Political Inability of corrupted Aliyev Regime over his Sheikdom people, brought Armenian copter down as a moral booster for his unprofessional, disorganized, demoralized oil powered army! I wonder how Axeri Tatar-Turks will sensor their own news when few of those copters fall into his expensive presidential palace!
The most “painful” consequences for all will be when Karabakh forces will blow up Azeries’ gas and pipe lines.
PROBLEM COME FROM SUPERPOWERS, they never condemned the faulty side. Just call “both sides” to calm dawn. And problem starts from there….
Neither one nor the other seems to be condemning Axerbaijan.
As long as corrupt idiotic ass hole Aliyev is in power, very lttle can be done, he needs to find an outlet to it’s huge arsenal of arms he has accumulated, condemning Aliyev is also idiotic since he doesn’t give a shit, he knows well money talks bl shit walks, people who are condemning are the same people who are selling them these weapons
Stop urging”all sides”to respect this and that….stop singing the same boring song again and again. There is only One side that the so called leaders should condemn with actions and sanctions and not just with empty words. That one side is Azerbaijan and the Aliyev corrupt regime that violets every ceasefire! The world leaders should stop whoring themselves to Baku’s oil. Stop mincing your words for once and show some spine instead!
Lots of empty words. It is dengerous….it is terrible….blah…blah… Let’s see what “painful ” consequences will be……
Hi everyone-
a few days ago some US military vets started the below petition to expel Turkey from NATO. They are tired of Turkey’s lack of support for US. Please sign the petition so it can be sent to Pres. Obama. Thanks
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/end-us-relationships-and-aid-turkey-due-assault-us-sailors/v2WSJ7sd
We dont get aide since the 90s.
The money given is rent for base just like everyone else pays rent mornings for free.
Check your facts.
Russia’s long term plan is to keep Azeri and Turkmen gas from reaching Europe. Controlling Armenia, which is right in the way, is the easy answer. A little war or two is OK, keeps things uncertain.
Armenia? who cares.
The US could care even less.
Armenia should tell the OSCE and the Azeris that for every Armenian killed there will be a one year delay in negotiations. To paraphrase a line from the movie Pascali’s Island “the turks need to understand the error of their ways”.
When the war starts…
The only ones we can depend on is ourselves…
No Russian nor American will want to die for the survival of the Armenian ethnic tribe…
All we will have is eachother…
I know where I will be…
In my mother land….