Armenia’s National Security Service on Wednesday neither confirmed nor denied news reports about a another breach of Armenia’s national border—the second in one month—as a result of which an Azerbaijani national has entered Armenian territory.
According to various media outlets, this time an Azerbaijani national has crossed the border in the Tavush Province. It remains unclear whether he crossed into Armenia on Wednesday or several days ago. Media outlets are attempting to gather information through their own sources. The Yerevan-based NewsTV5 was the first to report that the individual arrived near the village of Aygedzor (in the Berd region) and was spotted by Armenian shepherds.
The NSS told NewsTV5 that they did not have any information about such a breach and later, in a more terse correspondence with the channel, the security agency called for the submission of written requests.
Local villagers believe that the person who breached the border is a shepherd and reported that he was carrying a white flag.
NewsTV5 later reported that the Azerbaijani man was found and was currently at the Military Police of Berd city.
The heads of the Chinari and Aygedzor communities declined to comment, telling Azatutyun.am that they know nothing about the matter. Local residents told Azatutyun.am that they heard the Azerbaijani man arrived carrying a white flag; they surmise he may be facing some issues, while another suggested he is a shepherd who got lost. According to them, the Military Police have already transported him from Berd to Yerevan.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said he was unaware of the incident and admitted to finding out about it through news reports and questions directed at him during a parliament briefing on Wednesday. Mirzoyan downplayed the matter and chided opposition lawmakers for considering “a lost shepherd to be a threat to the country’s security.”
Mirzoyan said he supports the idea that, if the individual is indeed lost, he should simply be sent on his way.
“If he is a lost, my proposal is that we should just send these lost individuals back—each to their own homeland.”
The second border breach in one month did not sit well with opposition lawmakers, one of whom, Kristine Vardanyan, representing the Armenia Alliance, said the second breach in one month spoke volumes about the actual state of Armenia’s borders. The silence from the security and defense agencies is problematic.
“In other words, if an incident takes place in a country like Armenia, and the security agencies cannot—or, based on political expediency, must decide whether to—confirm whether or not it actually happened, that is a problem. If they don’t even know that it was a shepherd who crossed the border, one has to ask: what would happen if it were a saboteur?” Vardanyan said.
Given the silence from state institutions, the opposition member of parliament surmises that the Armenian side is likely consulting with Baku to determine how to proceed, before deciding what kind of statement to issue.
“It is possible that official agencies are either evading questions regarding their own operations, or are coordinating with Azerbaijan to decide on a course of action before making any comments. Either scenario is problematic,” Vardanyan added, saying that these incidents raise alarming questions regarding Armenia’s national security.
On October 1, an Azerbaijani soldier crossed the border into Syunik and reached the village of Shaki, entered a residence and shot Ani Avetisayan, while holding her children at gunpoint.
Since that incident, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Armenia’s National Security chief, Alen Simonyan, have downplayed the incident, event seemingly blaming Avetisyan, who was protecting her family.
In should be noted that such incidents have not been recorded along Armenia’s borders with Iran and Georgia, where citizens of those countries have randomly wondered into Armenia’s territory.