11:51,

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan sought to undermine the efforts for establishing peace and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh with its June 28 attack, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, describing the bombardment as a pre-planned provocation. 

“In conditions of a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the closure of Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijani Armed Forces conducted artillery and air strikes at the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army positions in Martuni and Martakert, killing four Defense Army soldiers,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

“Expressing condolences to the families and friends of the victims, I have to underline that this military provocation was being plotted for a long time with information attacks. Azerbaijan was regularly falsely accusing the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army of violating the ceasefire in various parts of the line of contact. The Nagorno Karabakh authorities have consistently debunked the Azerbaijani reports, which makes it obvious that Azerbaijan is pursuing a policy of escalation and depopulation of Nagorno Karabakh, in other words, the policy that we’ve been warning about for a long time,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister stressed that Azerbaijan sought to undermine the peace efforts and efforts for addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh with the attack.

“During these days the Armenian delegation led by the Foreign Minister continues negotiations in Washington D.C. to agree upon the text of the peace treaty with the Azerbaijani delegation. There’s no alternative to peace in our region and the government, facing all difficulties and hardships, will continue the political course of peace,” Pashinyan said.