Russia again calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to start delimitation and demarcation of their border
YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has again called today on Armenia and Azerbaijan saying they should start the delimitation and demarcation of their state border as soon as possible, saying also that tension on some sections of their border is not directly related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and is a consequence of the lack of international legal registration of their border.
Speaking at a press briefing she said the overall background is being aggravated by the lack of mutual trust between the parties.
“We have repeatedly stressed that a sustainable and lasting solution to this problem is the earliest start of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan with its subsequent demarcation. We are ready to provide the necessary advisory assistance. Contacts continue at present through the foreign and defense departments, as well as border services, including for de-escalatation of the tension," she said.
Zakharova said also that the situation in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh remains relatively stable.
"Separate incidents are promptly resolved in cooperation with Armenian and Azerbaijani colleagues. No provocative actions against Russian peacekeepers have been recorded," she added.
She also noted that Russia is ready to contribute to establishing a peaceful life in Nagorno-Karabakh, strengthening confidence between Yerevan and Baku, as well as eliminating mutual irritants.
Zakharova recalled that since December 2020, with Russian assistance, a total of 97 prisoners of war have been returned (81 to Armenia and 16 to Azerbaijan).
“Nevertheless, this problem, as well as the issue of transferring minefield maps, which is absolutely a priority for Baku, has not yet been finally resolved," she said.
Azerbaijani forces had advanced 3.5 kilometers into Armenia’s Syunik province early on May 12 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 his proposal was prompted by the tension that has reached an explosive point in that section of the border.
He said his proposal is addressed to the international community and the government of Azerbaijan- 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. -0-
