Escalation of tensions on the contact line of troops in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

During a meeting held in Vienna on 14 April, representative of Azerbaijan to the OSCE made a statement.

The statement noted that the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan deeply regrets that the Armenian side misuses the OSCE for spreading false allegations against Azerbaijan.

In general, the Armenian-initiated provocation, which resulted in outbreak of large-scale military operation, was aimed at undermining the peace process and whatever understandings and achievements reached under OSCE Minsk Group auspices.

"To counter the provocation and to ensure safety of civilian population, the Armed Forces Command of the Republic of Azerbaijan had taken effective counter- measures", - said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani side welcomes the mediation efforts of the Russian Federation that helped reaching agreement on restoration of cease-fire at level of the Chiefs of General Staff of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia in Moscow on April 5, 2016.

"We reiterate our call to the OSCE participating States and its Minsk Group to persuade Armenia to strictly abide by the cease-fire, as we observe the attempts of the Armenian side to regroup its forces and to retake the positions it lost, instead of engaging in negotiations constructively".

"Continued occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by the Armenian troops is the main source of violence. Events of the beginning of April proved that in absence of meaningful negotiations, reliance on the fragile cease-fire regime is a miscalculation."

The statement also said that Azerbaijan is ready to continue negotiations over a political resolution to the conflict.