CSTO calls for immediate ceasefire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border
14.07.2020,
14:55
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) expresses serious concern over the exacerbation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and calls for an immediate ceasefire, said the CSTO Secretariat, Vladimir Zainetdinov, the press secretary of the organization, told RIA Novosti.
YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) expresses serious concern over the exacerbation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and calls for an immediate ceasefire, said the CSTO Secretariat, Vladimir Zainetdinov, the press secretary of the organization, told RIA Novosti.
"The CSTO Secretariat expresses serious concern over the aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border that arose on July 12 after an armed clash between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan, also with the use of heavy weapons, as a result of which there are killed and wounded", he said.
The CSTO said the current situation does not contribute to normalizing the situation on the border of two neighboring states, one of which, the Republic of Armenia, is a CSTO member state, and indicates a violation of the ceasefire reached at the level of the leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The organization is calling on the parties "to immediately restore the ceasefire in the CSTO responsibility zone."
“We express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish the wounded a speedy recovery,” the CSTO said.
The organization drew attention to the fact that the Collective Security Council, the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, in their statements repeatedly called on the parties to seek settlement of conflict situations exclusively by peaceful means and to refrain from provocative actions in order to prevent the escalation of tension.
About Escalation of Tension on Armenia-Azerbaijan Border
According to Armenia’s defense ministry, on Sunday morning, July 12, the Azerbaijani armed forces twice took aggressive actions against Armenia, trying to violate the state border of Armenia in the Tavush region and capture the strong point, having suffered losses. In the evening, the Azerbaijani side resumed artillery shelling in the direction of the same position from a 82 mm caliber mortar and tank.
On Monday morning, Shushan Stepanyan, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that after two or three hours of calm, the enemy continued shelling the Armenian positions, to which the Armenian armed forces gave a proportionate response. According to the republic’s defense department, on the Armenian side, as a result of the shelling, two policemen, who were on alert, received light injuries. Hayk Chobanyan, the governor of the Tavush province, reported on three wounded servicemen.
The head of the Armenian Ministry of Defense Davit Tonoyan said that shelling of Armenian positions from Azerbaijan continues with a certain periodicity, but is suppressed by sniper fire, resulting in significant losses to the enemy. On Monday afternoon, Azerbaijani forces fired seven shells from 82 mm and 102 mm mortars in the village of Chinari in the Tavush region. There were no injuries. The roof of one of the houses was damaged.
On Tuesday night, Armenian forces suppressed enemy tank activity. In the morning, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced the attack of enemy drones on the city of Byrd.
Concern over the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was expressed, in particular, by the Russian Foreign Ministry and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar.
On Monday, the CSTO website reported that in connection with the aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas initiated an emergency meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council on July 13. However, later this message was removed from the website, and CSTO Spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told Azatutyun Radio that it was postponed indefinitely for consultations between the parties, and also because of the need to clarify the format of discussions. ---0---
"The CSTO Secretariat expresses serious concern over the aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border that arose on July 12 after an armed clash between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan, also with the use of heavy weapons, as a result of which there are killed and wounded", he said.
The CSTO said the current situation does not contribute to normalizing the situation on the border of two neighboring states, one of which, the Republic of Armenia, is a CSTO member state, and indicates a violation of the ceasefire reached at the level of the leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The organization is calling on the parties "to immediately restore the ceasefire in the CSTO responsibility zone."
“We express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish the wounded a speedy recovery,” the CSTO said.
The organization drew attention to the fact that the Collective Security Council, the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, in their statements repeatedly called on the parties to seek settlement of conflict situations exclusively by peaceful means and to refrain from provocative actions in order to prevent the escalation of tension.
About Escalation of Tension on Armenia-Azerbaijan Border
According to Armenia’s defense ministry, on Sunday morning, July 12, the Azerbaijani armed forces twice took aggressive actions against Armenia, trying to violate the state border of Armenia in the Tavush region and capture the strong point, having suffered losses. In the evening, the Azerbaijani side resumed artillery shelling in the direction of the same position from a 82 mm caliber mortar and tank.
On Monday morning, Shushan Stepanyan, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that after two or three hours of calm, the enemy continued shelling the Armenian positions, to which the Armenian armed forces gave a proportionate response. According to the republic’s defense department, on the Armenian side, as a result of the shelling, two policemen, who were on alert, received light injuries. Hayk Chobanyan, the governor of the Tavush province, reported on three wounded servicemen.
The head of the Armenian Ministry of Defense Davit Tonoyan said that shelling of Armenian positions from Azerbaijan continues with a certain periodicity, but is suppressed by sniper fire, resulting in significant losses to the enemy. On Monday afternoon, Azerbaijani forces fired seven shells from 82 mm and 102 mm mortars in the village of Chinari in the Tavush region. There were no injuries. The roof of one of the houses was damaged.
On Tuesday night, Armenian forces suppressed enemy tank activity. In the morning, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced the attack of enemy drones on the city of Byrd.
Concern over the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was expressed, in particular, by the Russian Foreign Ministry and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar.
On Monday, the CSTO website reported that in connection with the aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas initiated an emergency meeting of the CSTO Permanent Council on July 13. However, later this message was removed from the website, and CSTO Spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told Azatutyun Radio that it was postponed indefinitely for consultations between the parties, and also because of the need to clarify the format of discussions. ---0---
