OSCE HOLDS ANOTHER MONITORING OF NAGORNY KARABAKH CEASEFIRE
RIA Novosti
December 14, 2010
YEREVAN
Officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe will conduct on Tuesday a regular monitoring of the contact
line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, the Armenian Defense
Ministry said.
OSCE officials regularly monitor the ceasefire on the border with the
disputed Nagorny Karabakh region to prevent a sudden escalation of
tension between the two countries and the last monitoring was held
in November.
Armenia and Azerbaijan frequently accuse each other of violating the
1994 ceasefire agreement in the disputed area. Shooting between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops sometimes result in soldiers’ deaths.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh,
a predominantly ethnic Armenian region, first erupted in 1988, when
the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people are estimated to have died on both sides between
1988 and 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed. Nagorny Karabakh has
remained in Armenian control and tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted.
From: A. Papazian