Azerbaijan’s aggression along Armenia’s board discussed at OSCE

YEREVAN, July 17. /ARKA/. The OSCE Permanent Council has discussed the aggression of Azerbaijan in the north-eastern direction of the Armenian border. According to the press service of the ministry of foreign affairs of Armenia, a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council took place in Vienna on July 16, during which, on the initiative of the Armenian delegation, the issue was included in the agenda and discussed.

In his speech, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the OSCE Armen Papikyan presented the situation with attacks from the Azerbaijani side towards the north-eastern border of Armenia from July 12, as well as political and military developments preceding this event in Azerbaijan, which clearly indicate that the attack July 12 was a preplanned action.

Papikyan said that the president of Azerbaijan, who is known for his territorial claims against Armenia, in particular, the capital Yerevan, as well as the Zangezur region of Armenia, who constantly complains that "modern Armenia is based on Azerbaijani lands ", etc., etc. ..., in his public statements in recent months, returned to warlike rhetoric, assuring his people that Azerbaijan is capable of resolving the Karabakh conflict by military means.

He emphasized that the Armenian delegation always drew the attention of the OSCE participating states to the propaganda of anti-Armenian hatred, encouraged and supported by the leadership of Azerbaijan.

Papikyan said Armenia see this as a tool in the hands of the authorities of this country to unite society against an external enemy and to divert attention from internal problems - dictatorial rule, endemic corruption, the shameful violation of human rights and widespread violation of fundamental freedoms.
 
The ambassador also noted that the level of hatred for Armenians  has reached such a dangerous level that even in the case of the slightest manipulation by the political or military leadership of Azerbaijan, this hatred can lead to military clashes and even large-scale aggression both on the state border of Armenia and on the line of contact.

He also said that the town of Berd as well as Aygepar, Movses, Chinari, Verin Karmirahbyur and Tavush villages in the Tavush region of Armenia have been shelled by using mortars and the Grad system, causing damage to both residential buildings and city infrastructures. He pointed out the fact of the shelling of the kindergarten in Aygepar village.

Papikyan said this is not the first time Azerbaijan has applied deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructures, we have seen this for many years, including during the April war of 2016, when gross violations of international humanitarian law were committed by the Azerbaijani army. 

He also noted that this is not the first time that Azerbaijan has deployed its artillery batteries in settlements, thereby endangering the lives of its own citizens.

"This reprehensible tactic is not new, it was used during the April war. This indicates that the military and political leadership of Azerbaijan is absolutely not interested in the security of their people, not to mention the security of the people of Armenia and Artsakh," Papikyan said.

He expressed gratitude to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for a balanced statement, as well as for an adequate response from partners and friendly countries of Armenia.

Separately, the ambassador touched upon the statements made by Turkey, describing them as a direct encouragement of the behavior of Azerbaijan, which in the current tense situation is absolutely irresponsible and unacceptable.

He emphasized that this tension on the border of Armenia once again testifies that in order to establish an atmosphere conducive to peace, to prepare nations for peace, it is first necessary to reduce the possibility of the threat of military force from Azerbaijan, as well as strengthen monitoring capabilities from the personal office Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

The ambassador expressed the hope that initiatives aimed at building confidence between peoples, creating conditions conducive to peace, and preparing peoples for peace are the only way to ensure stability in the region.

About escalation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Since July 12, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been carrying out aggressive actions against Armenia in the north-east direction of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. The enemy attempted to violate the state border in the Tavush region of Armenia using a tank, mortars, howitzers, drones and Grad MLRS. 

The shelling targeted Armenian strongholds, several villages and the city of Berd. After the lull of July 15, on the night of July 16, Azerbaijan troops again attempted raids in the Aygepara section, but after suffering numerous losses, they was thrown back, continuing shelling of the settlements.

The Armenian Armed Forces is providing a proportionate response to periodic shelling and suppressing the enemy’s activity. For the entire period, the air defense units of the Armenian army destroyed Azerbaijan’s control system of UAVs, 13 drones, a tank and artillery batteries.

According to preliminary data, as of Thursday, 36 soldiers were injured as a result of attacks on Armenian strongholds (16 of them were light abrasions, 20 were hospitalized and received medical care, one was in serious condition), 4 soldiers were killed and 6 cars were damaged. As a result of shelling of peaceful settlements in Tavush, 24 houses, a brandy factory and a winery, a kindergarten, a cemetery, 4 cars, a water main, a gas pipeline and a greenhouse were damaged, as well as a police checkpoint, in which 2 police officers were injured. In addition, one civilian was also wounded. Azerbaijan officially confirmed the death of 11 servicemen, the Armenian side reported the death of at least 10 more Azerbaijani special service officers.

Concerns over the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border were expressed, in particular, by the Foreign Ministries of Russia and other states, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the US State Department, the UN, NATO, the ICRC and other international structures. The CSTO also expressed serious concern over the exacerbation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and called for an immediate ceasefire. Concern was also expressed by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, saying that Moscow was ready for mediation efforts to resolve the situation. -0-