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A spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has blasted Azerbaijan for the recent ceasefire violation on the contact line that left an Artsakh soldier dead, the ministry’s press service told Panorama.am.

In his commentary issued on Monday, Tigran Balayan slammed the incident as a ‘provocation’, stressing Azerbaijan bears full responsibility for the possible consequences of the incident.

The full statement is provided below:

“Yesterday night, an Armenian soldier was shot dead as result of Azerbaijan's gross violation of the ceasefire regime on Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact. We extend our deepest condolences to the relatives and fellow servicemen of the deceased.

We consider this action, committed on the eve of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ visit to Armenia, as another provocation by Baku aimed at escalating the situation and failing the agreements on reducing tensions. This incident once again stresses the importance of implementing the 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements with no time limitations, as well as the agreements on introducing a mechanism for investigating border incidents as agreed at the 2016-2017 Summits on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and on expanding the capacities of the Personal representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office.  

We have repeatedly stated that creating the environment conducive to peace is of key importance in Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Such actions of the Azerbaijani side are in fact pursuing the opposite goal.

The Azerbaijani side is fully responsible for all the possible consequences of this provocation.”

An Artsakh Defense Army soldier identified as Vahagn J. Eloyan (born in 1992) was fatally wounded as a result of Azerbaijani gunfire on Sunday evening at a military post in the southeastern direction.

A probe has been launched into the incident.