Escalation of hostilities at border between Armenia and Azerbaijan must cease immediately - OSCE Chairman-in-Office 

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid called for an immediate ceasefire following reports of armed clashes along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenpress reports citing the OSCE website.

“The escalation of hostilities at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan must cease immediately. The progress achieved so far by following the diplomatic path must not be squandered,” said Rau. “There has been progress over the past eighteen months, including agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue work towards a peace treaty. These clashes jeopardize this progress and put countless lives at risk.”

“Ican only stress that hostilities must stop, not least to avoid further casualties,” said Schmid. “Drawing on decades of experience and expertise, the OSCE stands ready to help. We all share the joint objective of achieving sustainable peace and prosperity in the region.”

On September 13, starting at 00:05, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a major military attack in several directions against Armenia, primarily using artillery and UAVs. 49 Armenian troops were killed and 3 civilians were wounded in the Azerbaijani attack.