Baku: Armenia’s provocation under PM Pashinyan led to rise in tension
By Akbar Mammadov
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has said that the chain of provocations committed by Armenia under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan both in words and deeds has undermined the negotiation process and led to a significant rise of tension in the region.
In a statement issued on September 24, the ministry also said that “the bellicose statements, military, and other provocations accompanied by aggressive military posturing show that Armenia is preparing for new aggression against Azerbaijan.”
The ministry reminded that Armenia has adopted a military doctrine and national security strategy under Pashinyan, which envisages a concept of “new war for new territories” and define the strategic goal of this country in the negotiation process as safeguarding the outcomes of the war.
Recalling Armenia’s attack on Azerbaijan’s border Tovuz region on July 12-16, the ministry said that the attack was aimed to seize new territories of Azerbaijan.
“Having failed in this “test” attack, nevertheless continuing preparation for the next turn of aggression, Armenia has acquired a large amount of weapons and ammunition and concentrated its forces along the line of contact. Threats of striking Azerbaijan’s critical civilian infrastructure and large residential areas are accompanied by intensified military reconnaissance and subversive actions deep inside the territory of Azerbaijan. In parallel, Armenia announced the establishment of a civilian militia consisting of tens of thousands of civilians who will be forced to undertake military actions against Azerbaijan,” the ministry said.
In view of Armenia’s preparation for a new military offensive, the ministry called on the international community, in particular, the OSCE Minsk Group and its Co-Chairmen to bring Armenia to terms of common sense and urge this country to refrain from another aggression.
The ministry cited illegal resettlement of ethnic Armenians from the Middle East in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan’s numerous inflammatory rhetoric and his illegal visits to occupied territories, Anna Hakobyan’s participation in military training for women among the long list of provocations committed under Pashinyan’s administration.
The ministry further recalled that Pashinyan called for Karbakh’s “unification” with Armenia in August 2019, while Defence Minister Davit Tonoyan in March 2019 threatened to occupie more Azerbaijani territories in case of the resumption of the war.
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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97
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