Wednesday,
Pashinian Calls Demarcation Of Border With Azerbaijan ‘Armenia’s Agenda’
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks in parliament (file photo)
Delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan is Armenia’s agenda,
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday one
day after the worst flare-up of border violence between the two former Soviet
nations since last year.
The issue of the un-demarcated border has been raised since May when Armenia
first accused Azerbaijan of violating what were Soviet-era administrative
borders between the once socialist republics within the USSR.
Armenia said then that Azerbaijan had advanced several kilometers inside its
sovereign territory at two sections of the eastern border. Azerbaijan denied the
accusations, claiming that its troops were stationed in territories that Baku
regained as a result of a six-week war against ethnic Armenian forces in
Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2020.
The latest deadly skirmishes occurred along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on
November 16 and were halted due to a ceasefire reached through Russia’s
mediation.
Most questions during today’s question-and-answer session in the Armenian
parliament were addressed to the prime minister and regarded the latest clashes
between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
When asked to comment on Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov’s
statement that a joint commission should be set up to settle border issues
between Yerevan and Baku, Pashinian said that “embarking on the process of
delimitation and demarcation of borders is our agenda.”
“We have stated about it also in our government program. Therefore, if
Azerbaijan accepts this agenda, we need to understand what it is that hinders
it,” he said.
Pashinian reminded that still in May he said at a government session that there
was a document on the table that he was going to sign.
“But why wasn’t that document signed? [The document wasn’t signed] because it
did not reach the stage of the offer of signing,” the Armenian leader said.
According to Pashinian, since then Russia three times made proposals on border
demarcation and in all three cases Armenia agreed to move forward based on them.
“In my impression the process did not move forward because of Azerbaijan’s not
giving a concrete answer,” said Pashinian, stressing that Armenia’s proposals on
border delimitation and demarcation made in May still remain valid.
Pashinian also commented on repeated public offers from Azerbaijan to sign a
peace treaty with Armenia.
“We, in our turn, have also offered and are offering to sign a peace treaty with
Azerbaijan. We have said that the whole purpose of the OSCE Minsk Group’s
negotiation process has been to reach a point of signing a peace treaty. This is
not a new thing. I want to say that all negotiating packages so far have had as
their end goal the signing of a peace treaty. So, it is strange for me to hear
all the time that Azerbaijan offers to sign a peace treaty with Armenia and
there is no response from Armenia,” Pashinian said.
“When we speak about a full restoration of the negotiation process, and when we
engage in the negotiation process, our goal is to sign a peace treaty. The
signing of a peace treaty should be preceded by work to agree on the text of the
treaty. This requires quite a large amount of work. We have never refused to do
this work. On the contrary, we have expressed our readiness to do it, and we
also consider it to be our agenda,” he added.
Regarding the work of a Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani working group at the level
of deputy prime ministers on the unblocking of regional transport links,
Pashinian said that the impression that it has stopped is wrong. “Work is being
done on a daily basis, simply for now it hasn’t been able to achieve a concrete
result,” he said.
EU Urges Armenia, Azerbaijan To Resume Negotiations
The European Union has called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume negotiations
to work towards a comprehensive settlement of outstanding issues, including
border demarcation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the 27-nation bloc said it is “deeply
concerned over the recent violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijani border, which
has regrettably led to loss of life.”
“The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, discussed the evolving
situation with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister
of Armenia, Nikol Pashinian, over the phone and called for urgent de-escalation
and full respect of the ceasefire.
“The EU urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise utmost restraint, disengage
their military forces on the ground and respect the commitments undertaken in
the framework of the two trilateral agreements. We call on both sides to resume
negotiations to work towards a comprehensive settlement of outstanding issues,
including border demarcation,” the EU said.
The EU stressed that it supports the statement of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs of
November 15.
“The EU reiterates its commitment to work with Armenia and Azerbaijan to help
overcome tensions and contribute to building a South Caucasus that is secure,
stable, prosperous and at peace for the benefit of all people living in this
region,” the statement concluded.
Earlier, on November 16, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that
Washington was “deeply concerned” about reports of intensive fighting between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a statement the top U.S. diplomat said: “We urge both sides to take immediate
concrete steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation. We also call on
the sides to engage directly and constructively to resolve all outstanding
issues, including border demarcation.”
“As noted in the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ statement on November 15, the recent
increase in tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan underscores the need for a
negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues
related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Blinken added.
Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of provoking fresh fighting along
their border on Tuesday, with both sides reporting casualties following hours of
hostilities that were halted due to a ceasefire arranged by Russia.
Armenia continues to accuse Azerbaijan of occupying dozens of square kilometers
of its sovereign territory. Azerbaijan rejects the accusations.
Armenia Expects ‘Diplomatic, Military Assistance’ From Russia Over Border Crisis
• Anush Mkrtchian
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigorian (file photo)
Armenia expects diplomatic and military assistance from Russia over the latest
escalation along its border with Azerbaijan, a top Armenian official visiting
Moscow reportedly said on Wednesday.
As quoted by the Russian Kommersant daily, Secretary of the Security Council of
Armenia Armen Grigorian, who was taking part in the meeting of his counterparts
from other post-Soviet nations in the Russian capital, said that Armenia is
preparing a written application to its ally Russia to come to its aid under a
mutual assistance agreement signed between the two countries in 1997.
Grigorian already orally appealed to Russia to provide assistance to Armenia in
defending its territorial integrity in the face of what Yerevan described as
Azerbaijan’s aggression on November 16.
After hours of deadly border clashes Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a
ceasefire arranged by Russia late on Tuesday.
The ceasefire was announced shortly after the Kremlin said in a statement,
without elaborating, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed the situation during a phone call.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu also held phone calls with both his
Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts and reportedly called on them “to stop
activity that provokes escalation.”
After the cessation of fighting Armenia continued to insist that Azerbaijani
troops are still inside its sovereign territory.
“Azerbaijan’s armed forces are currently in the sovereign territory of Armenia.
This is an act of aggression. In 1997, Armenia and Russia agreed to help each
other in such cases. In this regard, we have turned to Russia,” Grigorian told
Kommersant.
Grigorian said that Armenia is in favor of a diplomatic solution to the problem,
but if it turns to be impossible, it deems that the problem must be solved
militarily.
“It was due to the active participation of the Russian side that yesterday’s
fighting was stopped, but the issue has not been resolved, as Azerbaijan’s armed
forces remain in the sovereign territory of Armenia,” said the secretary of the
Security Council of Armenia, invoking Soviet-era maps.
In his remarks on Armenia’s Public Television on Tuesday Grigorian said that
Armenia deems that first of all it is possible to solve the crisis with the
assistance of Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a
defense pact of several post-Soviet states of which Armenia is a member. At the
same time, he did not rule out a scenario when the Armenian government would
consider turning to other partners as well.
During a news briefing in Moscow on Wednesday, official representative of
Russia’s Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that “Russia is serious about
both its bilateral and multilateral obligations.”
“Corresponding consultations are being held bilaterally... As for the CSTO,
then, according to our information, they are closely monitoring the situation on
the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” she said, as quoted by Russia’s RIA news
agency.
At the same time, Zakharova stressed that Russia considers it important for
Armenia and Azerbaijan to start the process of delimitation of their border as
soon as possible.
Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov also attended the
Moscow meeting on November 17. Citing its sources, Kommersant reported, however,
that no contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani officials were planned as
part of the gathering.
Armenia, Azerbaijan Report Casualties After Latest Border Fighting
Dozens of Armenian soldiers have been captured or gone missing following the
latest clashes on the border with Azerbaijan, officials in Yerevan said on
Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said that seven of its soldiers were
killed and 10 others wounded in renewed fighting on the shared border that
erupted on November 16.
According to a statement by Armenia’s Defense Ministry, 13 Armenian soldiers
were captured by Azerbaijani forces and another 24 Armenian servicemen have gone
missing and their fate remains unknown.
The statement added that one Armenian soldier was killed in the fighting that
was stopped through Russia’s mediation.
Both sides blamed each other for starting the latest conflict amid tensions
between the two former Soviet nations that have simmered since a six-week war
last year over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan said its forces prevented “large-scale provocations” by Armenian
forces in the Kalbacar and Lachin districts bordering Armenia.
In turn, Armenia’s Defense Ministry accused Azerbaijani soldiers of shooting at
its positions along the border, using artillery, armored vehicles, and guns.
Later on November 16, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that hostilities on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border had ceased after a cease-fire was reached with
Moscow’s mediation. Armenia confirmed that report.
The situation along the border has been tense since the two South Caucasus
nations fought a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh last year that killed nearly
7,000 people and ended with a cease-fire that granted Azerbaijan control of
parts of the region as well as adjacent territories previously held by Armenians.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was “deeply
concerned” about reports of intensive fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a statement released on November 16 the top U.S. diplomat said: “We urge both
sides to take immediate concrete steps to reduce tensions and avoid further
escalation. We also call on the sides to engage directly and constructively to
resolve all outstanding issues, including border demarcation.”
“As noted in the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ statement on November 15, the recent
increase in tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan underscores the need for a
negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues
related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Blinken added.
On November 16, the European Union also urged the two sides to show restraint.
Calling for “urgent de-escalation and [a] full cease-fire,” the president of the
European Council, Charles Michel, described the situation in the region as
“challenging.”
“The EU is committed to work with partners to overcome tensions for a prosperous
and stable South Caucasus,” Michel wrote on Twitter.
Dozens Of Armenian Soldiers Captured Or Missing After Border Clashes With
Azerbaijan
The Armenian Defense Ministry building in Yerevan.
Dozens of Armenian soldiers were captured or went missing after November 16
clashes along the border with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s Defense Ministry said on
Wednesday.
In a statement released in the morning the ministry reaffirmed that one Armenian
soldier was killed in what was the worst fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan
since last year’s Russian-brokered ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.
It added that 13 Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani forces and
another 24 Armenian servicemen are missing and their fate currently remains
unknown.
Intense fighting along the Armenian-Azerbaijan border yesterday was stopped due
to a ceasefire reached through Russia’s mediation.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry said that as of 10:00 am the situation at the borders
with Azerbaijan is “relatively stable” and the ceasefire “mostly holds.”
It also added that “negotiations are currently underway with the mediation of
the Russian side for the resolution of the situation and the repatriation of the
captured servicemen.”
“Intensive work is underway to establish the whereabouts of the servicemen who
went missing,” the ministry said.
The ministry also confirmed that as a result of fighting Armenia lost two
“combat positions” that are currently controlled by Azerbaijani forces.
At the same time, it claimed that 70 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed or wounded
in the clashes, and that Azerbaijan also lost a number of military hardware,
including armored fighting vehicles and trucks.
U.S. Calls On Armenia, Azerbaijan To Avoid Further Escalation
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (file photo)
The United States is deeply concerned about reports of intensive fighting
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a
statement on November 16.
"We urge both sides to take immediate concrete steps to reduce tensions and
avoid further escalation. We also call on the sides to engage directly and
constructively to resolve all outstanding issues, including border demarcation,"
Blinken said.
“As noted in the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ statement on November 15, the recent
increase in tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan underscores the need for a
negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues
related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the top U.S.
diplomat added.
Military clashes that erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan along their border
on Tuesday afternoon were halted later that day through Russia’s mediation.
Both sides had accused each other of committing aggression. Turkey reportedly
expressed support for its regional ally, Azerbaijan, while Armenia appealed to
Russia for assistance in defending its territory.
The ceasefire was announced shortly after the Kremlin said in a statement,
without elaborating, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed the situation during a phone call earlier on
November 16.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu also held phone calls with both his
Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts and called on them to stop activity that
provokes escalation, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Russian ministry.
Yerevan admitted that two Armenian “combat positions” had been lost and an
unspecified number of soldiers killed and wounded as a result of the Tuesday
clashes. Armenia also claimed that Azerbaijani forces lost a “significant number
of armored vehicles and troops.”
According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, 12 Armenian soldiers were taken captive
by Azerbaijani forces. Their situation remained unknown after the announced
ceasefire.
The chairman of Armenia’s parliamentary foreign-affairs committee, Eduard
Aghajanian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service earlier that according to preliminary
estimates, 15 Armenian soldiers may have been killed during the fighting.
Azerbaijan said two of its soldiers were injured when Armenian military units
used mortars and artillery against an Azerbaijani position in Kalbacar and
Lachin districts bordering Armenia.
The renewed deadly clashes along the border started about a year after a
ceasefire stopped an intense Armenian-Azerbaijani war over the Nagorno-Karabakh
region in which about 7,000 people were killed.
Last year’s hostilities were halted due to a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement
that reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s territorial gains and brought about 2,000 Russian
peacekeepers to the part of the Nagorno-Karabakh region remaining under the
control of local ethnic Armenian forces.
On November 16, the European Union also urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to show
restraint.
Calling for “urgent de-escalation and full cease-fire,” European Council
President Charles Michel described the situation in the region as “challenging.”
“The EU is committed to work with partners to overcome tensions for a prosperous
and stable South Caucasus,” Michel wrote on Twitter.
Michel also said that he had discussions with both Pashinian and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev “in light of today’s developments.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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