The Armenian Foreign Ministry has condemned yesterday’s violation of the ceasefire by Azerbaijani armed forces along the southeastern border.

An Armenian soldier, Private Davit Vardanyan, today died from wounds inflicted by Azerbaijani troops in the incident.

The ministry, in a statement today, writes that Azerbaijani troops continue to occupy some 45 square kilometers of territory in Armenia and that ongoing ceasefire violations necessitate the parallel withdrawal of Armenian and Azerbaijani forces along the border.

The ministry calls for the deployment of an observation mission along the border to investigate such ceasefire violations.

“We consider it important that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the CSTO, the European Union and the entire international community give a proper and targeted assessment of Azerbaijan's provocative actions and statements, aggressive rhetoric aimed at undermining peace efforts in the South Caucasus,” the ministry writes.

The ministry has called on Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative actions, from rhetoric, and from fulfilling its commitments to establish stability and security in the region.