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    Categories: 2022

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 9/13/2022

                                        Tuesday, 

Armenia Appeals To Russia For Military Aid


Armenia - Russian soldiers march at Yerevan's Victory Park during an official 
ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, 9 
May, 2022.


Armenia appealed to Russia for urgent military intervention on Tuesday in 
response to what it called Azerbaijani aggression against its sovereign 
territory.

During an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Armenia’s 
Security Council decided to ask Moscow to invoke and “put into action” relevant 
articles of a Russian-Armenian treaty on mutual defense.

It also requested assistance from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty 
Organization as well as the UN Security Council.

The appeal followed Pashinian’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin 
during which they discussed heavy fighting that broke out at various sections of 
the Armenian-Azerbaijani border shortly after midnight. Russian Foreign Minister 
Sergei Lavrov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan also spoke by phone.

The Armenian military accused Azerbaijani forces of shelling its border 
positions and trying to advance towards Armenian territory “in some directions.” 
Baku claimed, for its part, that its troops are thwarting cross-border sabotage 
attacks by Armenian army units. Yerevan strongly denied that claim.

Russia has a military base in Armenia. Some of its troops were redeployed closer 
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border following the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Kremlin did not immediately issue a statement on Putin’s latest conversation 
with Pashinian.

Putin and Pashinian met last week on the sidelines of an economic forum held in 
the Russian city of Vladivostok. Speaking at the forum, the Armenian premier 
warned that Azerbaijan could provoke another escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict zone soon.



U.S. Urges Halt To Fighting Between Armenia, Azerbaijan


UKRAINE – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media before departure 
at the railway station in Kyiv, September 8, 2022.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an immediate end to heavy 
fighting that broke out on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border early on Tuesday.

“The United States is deeply concerned about reports of attacks along the 
Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reported strikes against settlements and 
civilian infrastructure inside Armenia,” Blinken said in a statement.

“As we have long made clear, there can be no military solution to the conflict,” 
he said. “We urge an end to any military hostilities immediately.”

The statement followed Blinken’s phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian. According to the official Armenian readout of the call, the top U.S. 
diplomat expressed Washington’s readiness to help “stabilize the situation.”

Pashinian was reported to inform Blinken about his administration’s decision to 
appeal to Russia, the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and 
the UN Security Council for help. He also said Yerevan expects “adequate” 
international reaction to what it sees as Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.

The hostilities were also discussed by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan 
and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried in a separate call.

The fighting coincided with the ongoing visit to the South Caucasus by Philip 
Reeker, the recently appointed U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Reeker 
held talks with Pashinian and Mirzoyan late last week. He is due in Baku later 
this week.



Russia Reports Another Armenian-Azeri Truce


Armenia - Armenian soldiers take up positions on the border with Azerbaijan, 
August 2, 2022.


Russia claimed on Tuesday to have brokered another Armenian-Azerbaijan ceasefire 
agreement to stop heavy fighting that raged on the border between the two South 
Caucasus states overnight and in the morning.

“We expect that the agreement, reached as a result of Russian mediation, on a 
ceasefire from 9 a.m. Moscow time (10 a.m. Armenian time) on September 13 of 
this year will be carried out in full,” read a statement released by the Russian 
Foreign Ministry.

Armenia and Azerbaijan did not immediately confirm the announcement.

A senior Russian lawmaker, Grigory Karasin, said that the situation on the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani is now “relatively calm.” He said President Vladimir Putin 
personally intervened to halt the hostilities after a phone conversation with 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Speaking in the Armenian parliament at 11:30 a.m. local time, Pashinian said 
that while the “intensity” of the hostilities has decreased Azerbaijani troops 
are continuing to attack Armenian army positions at “one or two sections” of the 
frontier.

The Armenian Defense Ministry reported early in the afternoon a “considerable 
decrease in the intensity of shelling.” Still, it said Azerbaijani forces are 
making more attempts to seize or advance towards its border posts in Gegharkunik 
and another province, Syunik.

“Armenian army units are continuing to accomplish their combat tasks in full,” 
the ministry added in a statement.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Suren Papikian spoke with his Russian counterpart 
Sergei Shoigu in the morning. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, the 
two men agreed to take “necessary steps to stabilize the situation.”

Shortly after Pashinian’s phone call with Putin, Armenia formally appealed to 
Russia and the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for 
urgent help in the face of what it described as a large-scale Azerbaijani attack 
on Armenian territory.

Moscow did not publicly side with Armenia, its main regional ally. The Russian 
Foreign Ministry statement said “problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be 
resolved only by political-diplomatic means.”

Pashinian revealed that at least 49 Armenian soldiers were killed in the 
fighting that broke out at several sections of the border shortly after 
midnight. The Azerbaijani side did not release any casualty numbers as of 
Tuesday afternoon.

Armenia - A house in the border village of Sotk destroyed by Azerbaijani 
shelling, .

Azerbaijani forces reportedly shelled not only Armenian border posts but also 
Armenian villages close to the border. At least three civilian residents of 
those communities were wounded and many others evacuated as a result, according 
to authorities in Yerevan.

The conflicting sides continued to blame each other for what was the worst 
fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone since the 2020 
Armenian-Azerbaijani war. Yerevan shrugged off Baku’s claims that it retaliated 
against Armenian special forces that launched cross-border sabotage attacks.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also claimed that Yerevan is trying to delay 
the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty which Baku says must uphold 
its sovereignty over Karabakh.

Pashinian likewise linked the escalation to discussions on the treaty. He said 
Baku is trying to force Yerevan to accept the Azerbaijani terms of such a deal. 
They are highly unfavorable for the Armenian side and would not even guarantee 
Armenia’s territorial integrity, he said.

The issue dominated Pashinian’s August 31 talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev in Brussels.



Iran Repeats Warnings Over Border With Armenia


Armenia/Iran - The Arax river separating Armenia and Iran.


Iran again warned against attempts to strip it of direct access to Armenia when 
it reacted to heavy fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian telephoned Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to 
brief him on the hostilities that broke out along several sections of the 
frontier shortly after midnight. One of those sections is close to Iranian 
territory bordering Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province.

Raisi expressed serious concern over the escalation, saying that “the region 
cannot tolerate another war.”

“The historical borders of Iran and Armenia are considered the bedrock of 
prosperity, convergence and security of the region,” he was quoted by his office 
as telling Pashinian.

In this regard, the Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of 
respecting the territorial integrity of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Any change 
to the border between the two South Caucasus states is unacceptable to Tehran, 
said a ministry spokesman.

Syunik is the sole Armenian province bordering Iran. Baku has been pressing 
Yerevan to open an exterritorial corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its 
Nakhichevan exclave through the province. The Armenian government rejects these 
demands while expressing readiness to restore Armenian-Azerbaijani transport 
links.

Iranian leaders are also strongly opposed to the land corridor, fearing a loss 
of the common border with Armenia.

“The Islamic Republic will not tolerate policies or plans that lead to the 
closing of the Iran-Armenia border,” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali 
Khamenei, warned in July.

According to the Armenian government’s press office Raisi recalled Khamenei’s 
warning during the phone call with Pashinian. The Iranian president also said 
that Armenia’s national security is important to Iran, added the office.



Fighting Continues On Armenia-Azerbaijan Border


Armenia - Defense Ministry spokesman Davit Torosian at a news briefing in 
Yerevan, .


Fighting reportedly continued along Armenia’s long border with Azerbaijan on 
Tuesday evening despite a ceasefire agreement announced by Russia in the morning.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said that there has only been a significant 
decrease in the “intensity of shelling” at various sections of the heavily 
militarized border which began on the night from Monday to Tuesday.

“Using special forces, the enemy has been trying to secure positional advances, 
notably towards [the villages of] Nerkin Hand, Verin Shorzha, Artanish and 
Sotk,” said the ministry spokesman, Davit Torosian.

Nerkin Hand is located in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province while the three 
other communities are part of Gegharkunik province. Both regions border western 
Azerbaijan.

Gegharkunik Governor Karen Sargsian confirmed that there has been no letup in 
“intensive combat” in his region.

“In the morning gunfire stopped for about 40 minutes but then resumed and is 
still going on,” Sargsian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

He said that the provincial administration helped to evacuate some local 
residents, mostly children and women, and took others to bomb shelters.

In this image taken from a YouTube footage released by Armenian Defense Ministry 
on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, shows Azerbaijanian servicemen crossing the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border and approaching the Armenian positions.

The Defense Ministry accused the Azerbaijani army of deliberately targeting 
civilian areas. At least one of the Gegharkunik villages, Sotk, was seriously 
damaged by shelling.

The ceasefire deal announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry was supposed to 
take effect at 10 a.m. local time. It was not officially confirmed by Armenia or 
Azerbaijan.

The conflicting sides continued to blame each other for the bloodiest 
hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone since the 2020 
Armenian-Azerbaijani war. In particular, Yerevan says that Baku is thereby 
trying to force the Armenian side to make unilateral concessions in peace talks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is doing its best to help stop 
the fighting which left at least 49 Armenian soldiers dead.

The United States and the European Union similarly called for an immediate end 
to the violence. Senior U.S. and EU officials held a series of phone calls with 
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Belgium - EU Council President Charles Michel meets with Armenia's and 
Azerbaijan's leaders in Brussels, August 31, 2022.

“There is no alternative to peace and stability - and there is no alternative to 
diplomacy to ensure that,” tweeted European Council President Charles Michel.

Michel announced that the EU’s special envoy to the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, 
will travel to Baku and Yerevan to “work on preventing further escalation.”

Michel has hosted four face-to-face meetings between Pashinian and Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev over the past year. They most recently met in Brussels on 
August 31. Michel said right after that summit that Aliyev and Pashinian agreed 
to intensify negotiations on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.

Also urging “strict respect for the ceasefire” was French President Emmanuel 
Macron. He spoke with Pashinian by phone overnight. A statement released by the 
presidential Elysee Palace also cited Macron as calling for “respect for the 
territorial integrity of Armenia.”

“France will take the matter to the United Nations Security Council, of which it 
currently holds the presidency,” added the statement.



Putin, Pashinian Talk Amid Fighting On Armenian-Azeri Border


Russia - Russian Preisdent Vladimir Putin greets Prime Minoster Nikol Pashinian 
during a forum in Vladivostok, September 7, 2022


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian telephoned the presidents of Russia and France 
early on Tuesday shortly after the start of what Armenia described as 
large-scale shelling of its territory by Azerbaijani forces.

An Armenian government statement said Pashinian presented to Russian President 
Vladimir Putin details of Azerbaijan’s “aggressive and provocative” actions that 
began shortly after midnight.

“Nikol Pashinian found the Azerbaijani side’s actions unacceptable and stressed 
the importance of adequate reaction from the international community,” said the 
statement. “The interlocutors agreed to be in operational contact.”

Putin and Pashinian met last week on the sidelines of an economic forum held in 
the Russian city of Vladivostok. Speaking at the forum, the Armenian premier 
warned that Azerbaijan could provoke another escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict zone soon.

The two leaders held four phone calls last month. They spoke twice in the space 
of a week in early August amid an upsurge of violence in Karabakh.

The government’s press office released a similar readout of Pashinian’s call 
with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“President Macron found a further deepening of the tensions unacceptable and 
stressed the need to deescalate the situation,” it said.



Heavy Fighting Reported On Armenia-Azerbaijan Border (UPDATED)


ARMENIA -- An Armenian flag flies at an Armenian army post on the border with 
Azerbaijan, June 18, 2021


The Armenian military said early on Tuesday that Azerbaijani forces are using 
artillery, combat drones and automatic weapons to strike its positions along 
various sections of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan.

The Defense Ministry in Yerevan said that the “intensive” shelling began shortly 
after midnight.

“The exchange of intensive gunfire is continuing,” the ministry spokesman, Aram 
Torosian, said an hour later.

In another update, Torosian said that the fighting continued unabated as of 4 
a.m. local time. “The Armenian armed forces are giving [the enemy] an adequate 
response and fully accomplishing combat tasks set for them,” he said.

Torosian added that they suffered casualties but did not give any numbers. He 
also said that “in some directions” Azerbaijani troops are trying to advance 
towards Armenian territory.

Residents of several Armenian border communities told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service 
that they are hearing powerful explosions and gunfire. The mayor of, Verin 
Shorzha, a border village in eastern Gegharkunik province spoke of “intensive 
gunfire” coming from Azerbaijani army positions across the local section of the 
long border.

According to a former local government official, several shells landed in 
another Gegharkunik community, Sotk, forcing some parents to evacuate their 
children to safer locations.

Another, serving Gegharkunik official was quoted by news.am as saying that some 
residents of the nearby village of Norabak are fleeing their homes.

The fighting also affected communities in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik 
province. In the local village of Karashen, an Azerbaijani shell hit a wedding 
hall, eyewitnesses said, adding that nobody was hurt as a result.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry accused the Armenian side of launching 
a “large-scale provocation” along three border districts in western Azerbaijan.

In a statement, the ministry claimed that Armenian commando units crossed those 
border sections to try to put landmines near Azerbaijani army posts there. The 
Azerbaijani side, it said, hit Armenian military infrastructure and took other 
“urgent measures” in response to those raids.

Torosian, the Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman, flatly denied those claims, 
insisting that the fighting was initiated by “Azerbaijan’s military-political 
leadership.” He said that the Azerbaijani military laid the “information 
groundwork” for it in recent days.

Baku has alleged Armenian truce violations along the frontier on a daily basis 
following the August 31 meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian held in Brussels.

Yerevan dismissed those claims as “disinformation.” Some Armenian commentators 
suggested that Baku may be preparing the ground for another escalation in the 
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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Vardan Badalian: