A lasting settlement is possible only through delimitation and demarcation of the border, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today in a comment on the ongoing tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow.

“We proceed from the premise that all issues must be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic methods, and a lasting settlement is possible only through delimitation and demarcation of the border. The initiative of the Russian President in this regard is well known. Today we talked about how to ensure its rapid implementation. We confirmed our readiness to help this process in every possible way," he said.

Lavrov said also that Russia was satisfied with the way the trilateral working group, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan was working towards unblocking transport and economic ties in the South Caucasus.

"We hope that the activity of the group and the unblocking of all communications, of course, will help not only the economic recovery of the South Caucasus, but also provide a more reliable basis for political settlement and prosperity for the entire region," he said.

Lavrov said that the parties exchanged also views on international problems, in particular, reaffirmed their intention to closely coordinate their actions at the UN, OSCE, and other venues, and also highly appreciated the level of interaction in the CIS, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

"Armenia assumes the chairmanship of the CSTO in mid-September. Our Armenian partners informed us about their plans, which will be clothed in the form of the program of the Armenian chairmanship, and we will actively promote its effective implementation. Of course, we have a common interest: to enhance the effectiveness of the CSTO and the prestige of the organization in the international arena," he said.

According to him, the ministers paid special attention to the strengthening peace, security and stability in the South Caucasus, and looked carefully into the implementation of the trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan dated November 9 last year.

"We agreed to continue efforts to eliminate mutual irritants in relations between Yerevan and Baku, including the release of all Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan and the transfer of minefield maps (by Armenia to Azerbaijan). And we confirmed the role of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs," he said.

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and  phosphorus weapons.

After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. 
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor.

On May 12 Azerbaijani forces had advanced 3.5 kilometers into Armenia’s Syunik province and also breached two other sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in Sisian and Vardenis on May 13 under the pretext of 'clarification of border.' Some of them are still on the Armenian territory

Armenia has officially asked the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to take action against Azerbaijani incursions into its territory. 

On May 25, an Armenian contract serviceman V. Khurshudyan was fatally wounded in a shootout that began after Azerbaijani troops fired shots at an Armenian military post near Verin Shorzha village.

On May 27, Azerbaijani troops advanced 800 meters into the Armenian territory surrounded and captured 6 Armenian servicemen who were carrying out engineering work to beef up the protection of the border in Gegharkunik province.
On the same day Armenia's acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan suggested that international observers from Russia or other Minsk Group countries be deployed at Sotk-Khoznavar section on Armenia's border with Azerbaijan.

Speaking at a Security Council meeting later in the day Pashinyan said Azerbaijan and Armenia must agree to pull back their troops from the border to their permanent deployment places, so that international observers from Russia or other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing county (France or the United States) be deployed along the entire section of the border.

In one of the deadliest shootout since the end of the 44-day war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone last autumn, three Armenian soldiers were been killed and several others were wounded on July 28 morning.

The Armenian village of Yeraskh, located on the border with Azerbaijani exclave Nakhichevan, has been under the fire of the Azerbaijani troops from July 14. The interstate M2 highway connecting the north of Armenia with the south, Nagorno-Karabakh and Iran runs through Yeraskh. To the west of Yeraskh is the Armenian-Turkish state border. 

Source - ftp.arka.am

01 September 2021 / 10:00