Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian prime minister, said in mid-week that Armenia and Azerbaijan would not sign any document.
“Dear fellow citizens, I urge you to resist manipulation. No document has been or will be signed. This is a diversionary information campaign by hostile external forces to break down the resistance in the country,” wrote he on his Facebook page.
The Armenian PM stated that he accepts the responsibility of making difficult decisions for peace.
“We want to be criticized, cursed and called traitors, but we still want to sign this paper. We may even be removed from power by the people. We will be grateful, however, if the Republic of Armenia, which covers 29,800 square kilometers, enjoys lasting peace and safety as a result of this decision. I am very clear that I will sign the decision that will bring about this peace and security. I don’t care what happens to me. I only care about what happens to the Republic of Armenia,” said he.
Around 100 soldiers were reported to have been killed in fighting on the border between Armenian and Azerbaijan on Tuesday. Attacks on both sides fueled fears of wider hostilities between the long-time enemies.
Azerbaijan and Armenia both reported that at least 50 soldiers had been killed.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, the fighting began minutes after midnight. Azerbaijani troops launched an artillery barrage as well as drone attacks on many areas of Armenian territory. The shelling was less intense, but Azerbaijani forces were still trying to advance on Armenian territory.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that it was in response to a “large-scale provocation” by Armenia late on Monday and early on Tuesday. It claimed that Armenian troops had planted mines on Azerbaijani positions and fired at them.
The two countries are locked in a long-running conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, which is claimed by Azerbaijan and has been controlled by ethnic Armenians backed up by Armenia ever since a separatist civil war ended there in 1994.
Azerbaijan seized large swaths in Nagorno Karabakh in a six week war in 2020, which killed more than 6,600 and ended in a peace agreement mediated by Russia.
The Armenian government has appealed to Russia and the UN Security Council, as well as the Collective Security Treaty Organization regarding Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia’s territory.
According to reports, the Government of Armenia decided to appeal to Russia, as well as the UN Security Council, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, for the implementation of an agreement bilateral on friendship, co-operation and mutual assistance.
Azerbaijani officials, however, claim that the Armenians are to blame for this escalation, and that they are not making any real efforts towards peace.
The statement released by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan reads: “On September 12 starting late at night, the units of Armenia’s armed forces held large-scale provocation in the direction of Dashkasan Kalbajar, and Lachin of Azerbaijan/Armenia state border.”
“According to the information given by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan the sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces, using the mountainous relief of the region and the valley gaps that already existed, carried out an operation of landmine planting in the area between the positions of the Azerbaijani army units and the supply routes, in different directions. The Armenian army also fired heavily at the Azerbaijani Army positions in Dashkasan and Kalbajar regions, using different types of weapons including mortars. There are casualties among our armed forces and damage to the military infrastructure.
“To prevent further provocations and military threats by the armed force of Armenia against the territory and the sovereignty of our country and to ensure the security of our military personnel including civilian workers engaged in infrastructure activities on the territory of Kalbajar & Lachin regions. The expansion of the scale military hostilities has been averted. And to silence the firing point of the armed force of Armenia, definitive measures of retaliation have been taken by the units deployed in this direction. The Armenians have also spread false information about Azerbaijani Army’s alleged targeting of civilians, infrastructure, and facilities.
“In general, in the last month the Armenian military has been systematically and intensively provocation the Azerbaijani Army’s positions in Lachin, Gadabay Dashkasan, and Kalbajar, with a variety of weapons. Armenia’s increased militarization of Azerbaijani borders, the deployment of heavy equipment, and large-caliber guns in the region, all indicated that Armenia was preparing a large-scale provocation.
“At the time, Armenia’s delaying of the normalization process with various pretexts and its destructive position in the international negotiations, not removing the Armenian armed force from the territory Azerbaijan in contravention of the obligations under the trilateral agreements and statements, and continuing to plant landmines (including those recently planted in Armenia on the territory Lachin), putting forward new requirements and disrupting the opening of communications and transportation routes, and not responding to peace agenda demonstrate that Armenia does not care about the peace process.
“The aggression by the Armenians against Azerbaijan violates the fundamental principles and norms of international law as well as provisions of the trilateral declarations signed between Azerbaijan’s leaders, Armenia’s and the Russian Federation and the agreements between Azerbaijan & Armenia. Armenia’s actions are in direct opposition to the ongoing peace and normalization process. Armenia’s actions are in direct opposition to the ongoing normalization and peace process.
“Armenia’s military-political leaders are responsible for the provocation and clashes, as well as the losses.” The statement reads: “Any actions that threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan are resolutely prohibited.”
Irakli Garibashvili held a phone conversation with Nikol Pahinyan, the Prime Minister of Georgia on Tuesday.
Pashinyan and Garibashvili exchanged information on the escalation of the military situation, and the situation that resulted from the confrontation between Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia.
Garibashvili expressed the hope that the parties would return to the negotiating table and that the situation would be resolved peacefully. The Georgian PM confirmed once again that Georgia is ready to actively mediate for peace and de-escalation in the region.
By Team GT
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge