Yerevan/Washington DC/New York: The border row between Armenia and Azerbaijan flared up and even as both sides accepted a Russian ceasefire proposal after three Armenian soldiers were killed in an exchange of gunfire on July 28, 2021, Armenia today sought Russian forces on Azerbaijan border as tension mounted between the two warring neighbours – both part of erstwhile Soviet Union.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today the presence of Russian forces would allow carrying out the exercise of border demarcation without the risk of military clashes. “Given the current situation, I think it makes sense to consider the question of stationing outposts of Russian border guards along the entire length of the Armenian-Azeri border,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying at a government meeting by the TASS news agency.
Armenia had earlier accused Azeri forces of attacking Armenian positions near the border between the two countries. Only last year, the two neighbouring nations had had a six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding areas.
The United States today condemned the recent escalation of violence along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and called on both Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries to uphold their ceasefire commitments by taking immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, the UN Secretariat issued a press read out last nigh (IST) stating that it has been following with growing concern continuing reports of tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border. It urged both sides to exercise restraint, refrain from any action that could escalate tensions, and address related concerns through dialogue.
Continued tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the USA said today, underscore the fact that only a comprehensive resolution that addresses all outstanding issues can normalize relations between the two countries and allow the people of the region to live together peacefully.
The United States urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to return as soon as possible to substantive discussions under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to achieve a long-term political settlement to the conflict.
– global bihari bureau
