Ceasefire agreement restrains Azerbaijan – in April 2016 it acted moderately: Vagharshak Harutyunyan

Former Defense Minister Vaghasrshak Harutyunyan reflected to the agreement signed 23 years ago on May 16, saying it functions until now, despite the fact that the Azerbaijani side violates that ceasefire, it’s a restrictive factor for Azerbaijan,

“International community and mostly the Co-Chairs, based on ceasefire agreement implement their mission. If not that agreement we wouldn’t have peaceful negotiations.”

Asked the ceasefire agreement exists but the adversary repeatedly undertakes actions, we record casualties, what that agreement gives to us, he replied,

“What would happen, if not that agreement? War would be recorded. I understand, you may ask if there is an agreement, why we have casualties and what the international community does. If not the agreement, war would be recorded, and in that case not this much casualties, but even more. This agreement should be observed as a restrictive factor. Yes, it doesn’t solve the main issue, however, it prevents a wide-scale war.”

To the observation whether in 2016 April the adversary acted restrained, he said, “Of course. It didn’t use long-range weapons, which it had, on Stepanakert and the cities. It mostly used on the contact line and look attentively how it introduces its activities. As a reply to operations of Armenia and Artsakh.

Azerbaijan doesn’t say it started the war, as it realizes there is a ceasefire agreement and it violates it. Azerbaijan says they were reply actions. Only that fact shows that the agreement restrains Azerbaijan.”

By Razmik Martirosyan