Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry blamed Armenia for escalation on border

Baku/13.09.22/Turan: The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry blamed Armenia for the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Baku warned that "any steps against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be decisively suppressed.

"Since the evening of September 12, large-scale sabotage has been carried out by units of the Armenian armed forces on the Dashkesan, Kelbajar and Lachin directions of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated in the morning of September 13.

In particular, as stated in the document, sabotage groups of the Armenian armed forces, in various directions, carried out mining of territories between the positions of the Azerbaijani army and supply roads.

Along with this, the Armenian armed forces intensively shelled the positions of the Azerbaijani army in various directions of the state border which caused losses among the personnel of the Azerbaijani armed forces, as well as damaged the military infrastructure, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry further stated.

In this connection, the Azerbaijani units have taken measures to suppress the firing points of the Armenian armed forces.

In general, over the past month, the provocations of the Armenian armed forces on the state border were intense and systematic."

According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Armenia's recent intensification of "militarization along the borders of Azerbaijan, the deployment of heavy equipment and large-caliber weapons in the region" testified that Yerevan was "preparing for a large-scale military provocation."

"At the same time, Armenia, under various pretexts, slowed down the normalization process, demonstrated a destructive position in the negotiations held by international efforts, did not withdraw Armenian armed formations from the territory of Azerbaijan contrary to the obligations under the trilateral statements and agreements reached, and also continued mining territories, including the recent deployment of mines produced in Armenia on the territory of Lachin. 

Armenia's raising new conditions in opening communications and transport routes and the collapse of the process, as well as the rejection of the peace agenda, demonstrated that Armenia is not interested in the peace process pursuing the goal of striking at it," the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry further states.

Another aggression of the Armenian side against Azerbaijan is "a gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, as well as  provisions of the trilateral statements signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, and the agreements reached between Baku and Yerevan, completely contradict the ongoing "process of normalization and peace." 

"While the Azerbaijani state is carrying out large-scale reconstruction and construction work in the territories liberated from occupation, Armenia has once again shown that it hinders this process in every possible way, giving way to aggression. The entire responsibility for the provocations, clashes and losses that have occurred lies with the military-political leadership of Armenia.Any steps against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be decisively suppressed," the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry concludes.—06D-