Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is alarming and it is needed to prevent any further escalation of the conflict, said Nikolai Bordyuzha, secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance.
He said the CSTO is watching with great concern what is happening in the Caucasus, especially around the Karabakh conflict, along the line of contact between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia24 TV channel reported Dec. 28 on its website.
“I believe the political capacities of our states should be used to prevent any destabilization,” said Bordyuzha.
He also said it is needed to prevent the conflict from turning into a large-scale military clash, adding such a development is a terrible prospect as the entire Caucasus would “blow up”.
The CSTO official added that it is needed to act using political methods, as well as the authority of the heads of states.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI
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