NKR President: Azeri Provocations Will not Go Unpunished

STEPANAKERT — On 16 November Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakian met personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, to discuss the current situation at the Line of Contact with Azerbaijan.

According to the press service of the Karabakh president, referring to the recent violation of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan, in which an Armenian helicopter was shot down while operating a training flight in the neutral zone, President Sahakian described Azerbaijan’s actions as base dastard and unconstructive. He stressed that such behavior is detrimental to the stability and peace in the region and prevents the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group.

President Sahakian highlighted the necessity for a clear and critical assessment of Azerbaijani actions by the international community, pointing out at the same time that such provocative actions will not remain unpunished.

Sahakian’s spokesman David Babayan told media over the weekend that Kasprzyk’s visit to the site where the Armenian helicopter was downed by Azerbaijan on November 12 was expected on Monday or Tuesday. Since shooting down the helicopter Azerbaijan has kept the area under constant fire, not allowing the Armenian side to approach the helicopter and rescue or recover the bodies of three pilots who are presumed.