Azerbaijan, UK mull Armenia’s latest border provocation
By Akbar Mammadov
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and the UK Minister for European Neighborhood and the Americas of the United Kingdom Wendy Morton discussed development of mutual cooperation and recent Armenian provocation on the border, the ministry said on August 20.
During the telephone conversation, Bayramov informed the British minister about the latest military provocation committed by the Armenian armed forces in the Tovuz direction of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. He pointed out that this provocation clearly showed that the Armenian leadership seeks to obstruct the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In turn, Morton emphasized the significance of decreasing tensions in the region. Wendy Morton is also Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, the ministers held discussions on a number of areas of the bilateral cooperation agenda and prospects for the development of mutual cooperation.
It should be noted that at the beginning of the Armenian provocation on the border, on July 13, the House of Commons of the UK Parliament prepared a Motion that called on the UK Government to condemn the recent actions of Armenia which represent a serious hindrance to the progress of the peace process and which have violated international law as well as the ceasefire agreement signed in 1994.
The House of Commons also urge the UK Government to support the call for the OSCE Minsk Group to investigate thoroughly to prevent the current military action escalating into an all-out war, and further calls on the UK Government to urge for the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as stated in UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993.
On July 6, Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom discussed bilateral energy cooperation in a video conference held between co-chairs of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on economic cooperation, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Parliamentary Representative of the Secretary of State and Minister of Export Graham Stuart.
On May 1, the UK Minister Wendy Morton discussed the negotiations process of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict with the former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
The cross border clashes with Armenia started on July 12 after Armenian forces shelled Azerbaijan's positions in Tovuz, Azerbaijan's strategically-important district on the border. The Armenian attack killed 12 Azerbaijani servicemen, including an army general, as well as a 76-year-old civilian. Armenian forces retreated after suffering losses in Azerbaijan's retaliation.
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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97
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