The Azerbaijani military opened indiscriminate fire in the area of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Tavush region, the fire was suppressed by retaliatory actions. On Thursday, November 18, the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia reports.
"Late in the evening on November 17, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened indiscriminate fire in some directions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Tavush region. The enemy's fire was suppressed by retaliatory actions. As of 10:00 (09:00 Moscow time) on November 18, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable," the publication says.
A day earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow considers it important to launch the process of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as soon as possible. She also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and solve problems through diplomacy.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on the same day that Russia had offered to start the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border three times, but Baku had delayed the process three times. The Prime minister clarified that back in May he declared his readiness to sign a prepared proposal on the delimitation and demarcation of the border.
Pashinyan also offered Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty. According to him, he has repeatedly pointed out this possibility to Baku. The Prime Minister also stressed that the goal of the negotiation process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group is precisely the conclusion of peace.
On November 16, the fire was stopped after talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Defense Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Suren Papikyan and Zakir Hasanov. The Armenian military department confirmed the stabilization of the situation on the border.
On November 15, Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of invading the country's territory.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have disputed the ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Then the region, where mostly Armenians live, declared its secession from the Azerbaijani SSR. During the 1992-1994 military conflict, Baku lost control over Karabakh. In September 2020, Baku took control of a number of settlements during military operations, in particular the villages of Gervend, Garakhanbeyli, Nyuzgar and Goradiz of the Fuzuli district and a number of villages of the Jabrayil district. On November 8, 2020, the city of Shusha came under the control of Azerbaijan.
In November 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the participation of Russia, signed an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The document also provides for the introduction of Russian peacekeepers into the region, the exchange of prisoners between the parties to the conflict, the transfer of a number of regions of the region by Armenia to Azerbaijan and the return of refugees to Karabakh.
