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The Ministry of Defense of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic welcomes the calls of Personal Representative of OSCE CiO Andrzej Kasprzyk about maintenance of the ceasefire regime, the press service of the Ministry announced in a written statement.

«The Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has always been undertaking steps aimed at the strengthening confidence and easing of tensions unilaterally during the entire period of armed confrontation and is ready to remain faithful to its own position during the period mentioned by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office as well. In the meantime it was expected that the statement of Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense would reflect clear readiness to observe the ceasefire regime and not to allow provocations»,- the statement reads.

.@Karabakh_MOD welcomes Kasprzyk's call to adhere to ceasefire during Easter & Novruz. In 2012 #Karabakh put forward similar proposals

— Karabakh MFA (@mfankr) March 19, 2016

It should be noted that in 2012 the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic put forward similar proposals to withdraw snipers from the Line of Contact and to refrain from any provocative actions during religious holidays (such as Easter and Nowruz). Despite mediators’ support of the proposals, they were publicly rejected by Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman in Office Andrzej Kasprzyk made a statement on March 17 in conclusion of the monitoring mission on the Line of Contact, where he called upon the sides to adhere to ceasefire regime ahead of Easter and Nowruz religious holidays and to refrain from any actions that may provoke further escalation on the Line of Contact and across the border.

On March 17 the NKR Defense Ministry released a statement that a 19-year-old Karabakh soldier was shot dead by Azerbaijani fire in the northeastern direction of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army.