Yerevan gives nod to Moscow’s proposals to prepare for border demarcation with Baku

YEREVAN, November 18. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry’s proposals on launching preparations for the demarcation and delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border are acceptable for Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

“Since May, Russia has put forward three proposals concerning the demarcation and delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. All three proposals were acceptable to us. I would like to reaffirm that these proposals are acceptable to us,” he said, ordering Defense Minister Suren Papikyan to clarify the details with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

On November 17, Pashinyan said, addressing Armenia’s parliament, that Russia had suggested three times that Yerevan and Baku launch a border delimitation and demarcation process but it had failed to move forward because of Azerbaijan’s attempts to delay the process and the lack of a specific response.

Intense fighting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces broke out in the border areas of Armenia’s Syunik Province on Tuesday. Yerevan said that the Azerbaijani armed forces had launched an offensive into Armenia’s territory, which threatened an international highway connecting the Armenian capital with the country’s southern regions and Iran. Baku laid the blame on Yerevan, accusing the Armenian Armed Forces of staging a provocation. According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Armenian troops attacked Azerbaijani positions. Given the situation, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held separate telephone talks with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that following the conversations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani defense chiefs took measures to stabilize the situation on the border.