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    Chakrian Hovsep
  • 4 years ago
    • Categories: 2022

Armenia calls on Russia to thwart «any attempt» to violate line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh

MSN
Aug 4 2022
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Daniel Stewart 
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday called on Russia to thwart “any attempt” to violate the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh region disputed with Azerbaijan and warned that the Azeri military deployed in the area will be withdrawn.

During a Cabinet meeting, Pashinian has indicated that “there are numerous institutional issues in connection with the issue” and recalled that “point 3 of the trilateral communique of November 9, 2020 clearly states that the line of contact exists and that the Russian military is deployed in the area.”

“It is an area of responsibility for the Russian contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh and we hope that any attempt to cross this line of contact will be prevented,” he has asserted in statements reported by Armenpress agency.

Pashinian thus referred to the Russian peacekeeping mission, which Azerbaijan refuses to sign. For him, the signature of the Azerbaijani authorities is not necessary as he considers the signature of Armenia and Russia sufficient to implement it.

“If not, it would be necessary to take steps to approve the mandate at the international level. I don’t want to give too many details about it now, but we have been concerned about this since November 2020 and we have moved forward to find solutions,” he asserted a day after new clashes between Armenian and Azeri soldiers near Nagorno Karabakh were reported.

Pashinian has used the occasion to insist on the importance of “clarifying” the details of the Russian peacekeeping operation and stressed that the Russian presence is a “key factor” in ensuring the safety of Armenians. “We appreciate Russia’s efforts to achieve stability in the region,” he has said.

“We have to admit that Azerbaijan has obstructed this process by refusing to sign the mandate of the Russian contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh when Armenia signed it in November 2020, but we hope that they will eventually agree,” he has asserted.

Related video: Nagorno-Karabakh: Major flashpoint between Armenia–Azerbaijan

EXTREMELY TENSE” SITUATION

In this regard, he regretted that the situation remains “extremely tense” on the line of contact although he ruled out active combat operations in the area.

Therefore, he pointed out, “it is necessary to continue working to lower the tension”. “I want to emphasize that Armenia is pursuing a policy of constructive negotiations to strengthen peace in the region”, he said, although he stressed that if Azerbaijan maintains its refusal “we will have to activate international mechanisms”.

Currently there is no plan among the three parties to build a new traffic route through the Lachin corridor. According to Pashinian, Azerbaijan is using precisely this as a reason to provoke an increase in tension. “These kinds of issues are a serious violation of the trilateral agreements reached,” he said, referring to the roads built by Azerbaijan, which claims the territories they cross.

“The communiqué does not even name the construction of a new road. Many issues need to be clarified, including gas and electricity supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh and others related to security,” he said, while stressing that Azerbaijan is “falsely accusing Armenia of trying to avoid talks on these issues.”

“It is absurd because I have publicly announced all of the above,” he has stressed before pointing out that precisely the trilateral communique after the war was a “victory” for Armenia, which “has complicated its obligations.” “Azerbaijan has to accept the existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh entity and the line of contact,” he has maintained.

He also warned that if it does not do so, “an international process will be opened with a view to put pressure on Azerbaijan to respect its obligations and assume them”.

His words come a day after two Armenian soldiers were killed and almost twenty wounded in new clashes with Azeri military in the vicinity.

Baku, for its part, has indicated that at least one army personnel has died, while the Ministry of Defense has assured that the situation is completely “under control of the Azeri units”, according to information from the daily ‘Azarbaycan’.

The US government has expressed its “concern” about the new clashes near Nagorno Karabakh and, in a statement, the State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said that Washington is “closely monitoring the events”.

“We call for immediate action to prevent further escalation of tension in the area,” he asserted. “The increase in tension shows the need to take steps and start negotiations to resolve the issues that remain open in the framework of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he concluded.

Chakrian Hovsep: