“Azerbaijan has made a futile attempt to accuse Armenia of violating the ceasefire, while the enemy earlier shelled several settlements in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh]. Nevertheless, the armed forces of Armenia and Artsakh remain committed to the trilateral ceasefire agreement and urge the Azerbaijani military and political leadership to do the same,” the statement reads.
The Armenian Defense Ministry also commented on Azerbaijan’s statement that “the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire at the positions of the Russian FSB Border Service.” “It requires a vivid imagination to accuse the Armenian Armed Forces of shelling the positions of their strategic ally,” the ministry noted.
“Russia is calling on Azerbaijan and Armenia to abstain from revanchist rhetoric when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh, as this may lead to an escalation of tensions in the region”, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing on Thursday.
“We are calling on the sides to abstain from revanchist and militaristic rhetoric that can bring the region to the brink of war again,” she said.
Zakharova stressed that the practical steps of Azerbaijan and Armenia must follow the trilateral agreements reached in Moscow in November 2020 and January 2021. The diplomat added that the issue of unblocking economic and transport ties in the region should be regulated in accordance with this logic.
On Tuesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised interview that Baku would achieve the creation of the Zangezur corridor regardless of Armenia’s stance, and if Yerevan does not want the corridor to be established, Baku is ready to resolve this conflict by force. The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned this statement, noting that it caused serious damage to regional peace and stability.
TASS