Armenian PM Pashinyan: events in Karabakh have raised questions to Russian peacekeepers
The events in Nagorno-Karabakh raise a number of questions about the activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. He noted that Yerevan expects the Russian military to stop violations of the Line of contact in Karabakh.
The aggravation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has raised questions from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the Russian military in the region. He expects Russian military actions that will stop the violation of the silence regime on the line of contact. According to him, it is necessary to coordinate the details of the operation of the Russian contingent.
On August 3, 2022, the Azerbaijani army conducted the operation "Retaliation" in response to the actions of the armed formations of Nagorno-Karabakh in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers. As a result, a number of dominant heights were taken under control. According to the Armenian side, two servicemen were killed and 19 wounded.
Pashinyan also added that Yerevan expects the Russian military to stop violations on the line of contact in Karabakh.
"The third paragraph of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 clearly states that there is a line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, along which peacekeepers are located. It is this territory that is called the zone of responsibility of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation. We expect that any attempt to violate the line of contact should be stopped by the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation, and the Azerbaijani units that are inside this line should be withdrawn," he said.
Escalation in the region
In 2020, hostilities resumed in Karabakh, which became a continuation of the long-standing conflict and led to civilian casualties. The parties signed a trilateral agreement on the night of November 10. With the mediation of Moscow, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to completely cease fire and exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. Yerevan also handed over the Kelbajar, Lachin and Aghdam districts to Baku. In addition, Russian peacekeepers are stationed in the region.
Pashinyan also called the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh extremely difficult. "As you know, the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh has become extremely tense in recent days. As a result of the fighting, two servicemen of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army were killed, 19 more were injured," he said, asking for a minute of silence to honor the memory of the military.
According to him, at the moment there are no active hostilities along the contact line, but "the situation, according to the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh, remains extremely tense." "We must work to ease this tense situation," he added.
He also noted that the Armenian military does not serve in Nagorno-Karabakh. "Azerbaijan is talking about the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army today, why it is deployed along the line of contact. If the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan give guarantees about the inviolability of the contact line, the defense army, I think, will not be forced to carry out combat duty. I also officially declare that there are no Armenian servicemen in Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.
According to him, Baku is trying to disrupt the implementation of the trilateral statement on Karabakh. "Azerbaijan, which considers the statement of November 9, 2020 as its victory, pursues the goal of thwarting this statement and avoiding the fulfillment of the points stipulated in this statement," he said.
According to him, Yerevan is not going to give up on establishing peace in the region and continues to fulfill the terms of the three-string agreement.
He also said that Armenia is ready to provide a link between the western part of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. "Azerbaijan says that Armenia has committed to provide a link between the western part of this country and Nakhichevan. Yes, we have such obligations, and we are ready to fulfill them even today. It is Azerbaijan that does not use this opportunity. We say that even today, within the framework of Armenian legislation, you can cross the border of Armenia and go to Nakhichevan," he said.
Chronicle of shootings
The shelling in the region intensified on July 28, when the Armenian Defense Ministry accused the Azerbaijani side of shelling its village in the east of the border. The Armenpress agency reported then that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces conducted a 20-minute shelling of settlements in the Khojavend district. According to the results of the shelling, there were no victims. On July 30 and 31, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accused the Armenian side of shelling a settlement in Karabakh, and then its military, there was no information about the losses.
On August 2, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a Karabakh soldier was wounded during shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Three violations of the silence regime were recorded during the day. On August 3, the Azerbaijani military reported the death of its serviceman as a result of the morning shelling of "Armenian armed formations".
Subsequently, the parties repeatedly accused each other of shelling and non-compliance with the trilateral agreements of November 2020. On August 3, the European Union called for an end to hostilities in the region. They noted that the EU is ready to promote and continue its participation in ensuring sustainable peace and stability in the South Caucasus. On August 4, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to cease hostilities and find a solution to the conflict through diplomacy.
Mikhail Rodionov
