Armenia, Russia agree ‘joint steps to stabilise’ border

Azerbaijan stories losses amongst its troops after large-scale border clashes with Armenia.

An ethnic Armenian soldier looks through binoculars as he stands at fighting positions near the village of Taghavard in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, January 11, 2021.
An ethnic Armenian soldier appears to be like via binoculars close to the village of Taghavard within the area of Nagorno-Karabakh, on January 11, 2021 [File: Artem Mikryukov/ Reuters]

Armenia and Russia have agreed on joint steps to stabilise the scenario alongside Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan after lethal in a single day clashes, officers in Yerevan mentioned.

Armenia’s defence minister Suren Papikyan mentioned he spoke along with his counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday they usually each “agreed to take obligatory steps to stabilise the scenario”.

Earlier, Armenia and Azerbaijan have each reported new border clashes that left an unknown variety of Azerbaijani troops useless, within the newest flare-up between the arch foes who fought a struggle in 2020 over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh area.

All sides blamed the opposite for the combating.

In an announcement, Armenia’s defence ministry mentioned Azerbaijan launched “intensive shelling” towards Armenian army positions within the route of the cities of Goris, Sok, and Jermuk at 00:05am (20:05 GMT) on Tuesday. Azerbaijani troops used drones, in addition to “artillery and large-calibre firearms,” it mentioned.

“Armenia’s armed forces have launched a proportionate response,” it added.

However Azerbaijan’s defence ministry accused Armenia of “large-scale subversive acts” close to the districts of Dashkesan, Kelbajar and Lachin on the border, including that its military positions “got here below hearth, together with from trench mortars”.

“There are losses amongst [Azerbaijani] servicemen,” it mentioned, with out giving figures.

In line with Azerbaijani media, the 2 international locations had agreed on a ceasefire early on Monday to halt the hostilities, nevertheless it fell aside minutes later.

The truce got here into drive at 9am native time (0500 GMT), based on media stories and a supply, who requested to not be named, nevertheless it was damaged quickly after.

Map of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh

‘No army answer’

Russia is a key energy dealer within the area and an ally of Armenia via the Moscow-led Collective Safety Treaty Group.

In the meantime, america mentioned it was deeply involved about stories of the assaults.

“As we now have lengthy made clear, there could be no army answer to the battle,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned on Monday. “We urge an finish to any army hostilities instantly.”

Turkey’s overseas minister Mevlut Cavusoglu mentioned that Armenia ought to stop provocations, and as an alternative deal with peace negotiations and cooperation with Azerbaijan.

There have been frequent stories of combating alongside the Armenia-Azerbaijan border because the finish of their 2020 struggle.

Final week, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of killing one among its troopers in a border assault.

In August, Azerbaijan mentioned it had misplaced a soldier, and the Karabakh military mentioned two of its troops had been killed and greater than a dozen wounded.

The neighbours have fought two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh area, the Armenian-populated enclave in Azerbaijan.

Battle first broke out within the late Eighties, when either side had been below Soviet rule and Armenian forces captured swathes of territory close to Nagorno-Karabakh – lengthy recognised internationally as Azerbaijan’s territory, however with a big Armenian inhabitants. About 30,000 folks died within the ensuing battle.

Azerbaijan regained these territories within the 2020 combating, which ended with a Russian-brokered truce and 1000's of residents returning to houses from which that they had fled. Greater than 6,500 folks misplaced their lives within the six-week struggle.

The leaders of each international locations have since met a number of occasions to hammer out a treaty meant to determine an enduring peace.

Throughout EU-mediated talks in Brussels in Might and April, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to “advance discussions” on a future peace treaty.

Pashinyan on Tuesday held separate cellphone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, and EU’s President Charles Michel on the newest clashes, based on the Armenian authorities.

Michel mentioned the EU was “able to make efforts to forestall additional escalation” and mentioned there was “no different to peace and stability within the area”.

Pashinyan condemned the “provocative, aggressive actions” of the Azerbaijani armed forces and referred to as for an “satisfactory response from the worldwide neighborhood”, the Armenian authorities mentioned.

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