Azerbaijan, US discuss ongoing clashes as result of large-scale provocation by Armenia

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Foreign Jeyhun Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried discussed the ongoing clashes and tension as a result of large-scale provocation by Armenia, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a phone conversation on September 13.

During the conversation, the Azerbaijani minister informed the opposite side of the large-scale provocations of the armed forces of Armenia on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border areas, as well as the measures taken to prevent military threats to the territory and sovereignty of the country, as well as to ensure the safety of the military personnel, including civilian workers involved in infrastructure works.

Bayramov emphasized that the increase in fires from Armenia at Azerbaijan’s positions and civilian targets over the past month, the increase in tension along the borders of Azerbaijan, as well as the ongoing mine planting, is an indication that Armenia has been preparing for a large-scale military provocation.

It was brought to the attention that the aggression of the Armenian side against Azerbaijan grossly violates the fundamental norms and principles of international law, as well as the provisions of the trilateral statements signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia and the agreements reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia, thereby completely contradicting the ongoing normalization and the peace process.

Further, Bayramov stressed that Azerbaijan is not interested in whipping up military tension at a time when large-scale restoration and construction works were being carried out in the liberated territories of the country.

In turn, Donfried expressed her concern about the growing tension and military clashes in the region and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

To recap, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has reported that during the night of September 13, units of the Armenian armed forces committed large-scale provocations in the Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. As a result, there were losses among the military personnel, the military infrastructure was damaged.

Units of the Azerbaijan Army deployed in these directions are taking decisive retaliatory measures in order to suppress provocations committed by the Armenian armed forces and military threats to the territory and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, to ensure the safety of the military personnel, including civilian workers involved in infrastructure work in the territory of Kalbajar and Lachin districts.