Armenia and Azerbaijan Argue Over Border Incident
On May 12, an incident occurred at the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both sides accuse each other of provocations forcing the Collective Security Treaty Organization member states to closely watch the situation.
According to the website of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the Armenian military forces were engaged in an armed provocation at the territory, which Azerbaijan took over last year.
«Azerbaijani military personnel have responded adequately. Currently, there are no ceasefire regime violations,» the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in an official statement.
In turn, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia stated that “the armed forces of Azerbaijan took part in another provocation against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, trying to ensure positional advancement in the border regions of Vardenis and Sisian.”
«As a result of the counteractions by the Armenian forces, the advance of Azerbaijanis was stopped,» the Armenian Defense Ministry said.
«…We treat these actions Azerbaijan had taken on May 12 as an overt provocation. To avoid unpredictable developments, we call on the armed forces of this country to immediately return to their original positions and refrain from threatening the territory of the Republic of Armenia,» the press service of the department stated.
On the same day, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas talked to the acting Armenian Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan and the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Ayvazyan.
«The CSTO is carefully observing the situation in the Syunik region of Armenia. Depending on the further development of the situation, we are ready to take all needed measures, which are envisaged by the Collective Security Treaty and the CSTO Charter,» the CSTO announced.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia found themselves in a full-scale war over Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 10, when Armenia agreed to give back to Azerbaijan Aghdam, Kelbajar and Lachin districts, except a five-kilometer-long corridor between Karabakh and Armenia, excluding the town of Shusha.
