Russia’s OSCE envoy calls to preserve ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh by all means

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Moscow’s mediation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict helped to achieve the current ceasefire in the region, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday. "Such a massive interference of Russia helped to achieve a ceasefire in the region," the diplomat said during a Moscow-Vienna video link-up. "This ceasefire needs to be preserved now by all the means." The situation along the contact line of conflicting sides in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, deteriorated dramatically overnight to April 2 when fierce clashes began. The parties to the conflict accused each other of violating the truce. According to the United Nations, as of April 4 at least 33 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in clashes. At a meeting of chiefs of General Staff of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow an agreement was reached on the ceasefire from 11:00 a.m. Moscow time (0800GMT) on April 5. Read more