Artsakh Official Calls on Mediators to Prevent Azeri Military Escalation

By Asbarez | Saturday, 23 June 2018

Artsakh soldiers at the border preparing for and defending against Azeri aggression.

Artsakh soldiers at the border preparing for and defending against Azeri aggression.

Tigran Abrahamyan, adviser to President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan, reported that Azerbaijani troops are intensifying their movement along the line of contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

This increased frontline activity has different manifestations during different time periods: equipment movement, build-ups, active engineering works, attempts to psychologically influence the Armenian and Artsakh societies and propaganda, according to Abrahamyan.

“For the record, the main reason of this all is that the issue of a military solution still remains in the political agenda of Azerbaijan. For justifying this approach, the activeness of bloggers controlled by Azerbaijani politicians, experts and authorities is seen. They are trying to justify the approach of a military solution by all means,” Abrahamyan said.

He noted that the period of time after the April War has been dangerous. After the April combat operations, Azerbaijan should have returned to the negotiations table. However, not only has Azerbaijan refused to do so, but the country continues to further escalate the situation on a daily basis. Abrahamyan said that Azerbaijan is constantly maneuvering military equipment and special forces.

“It is hard to say what work is being done through different diplomatic channels in this direction. Understandably, a part of this work cannot be visible for the wide society. Anyhow, I think that the mediators should be a lot more active in this issue in order not to give a chance for increasing the wave of escalation in the frontline. The main task of the mediators is to shift the solution of the issue to a political platform,” he said.

Tigran Abrahamyan, adviser to President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan.

Tigran Abrahamyan, adviser to President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan.

When how the political development in Armenia might impact the situation on the border, Abrahamyan said the domestic situation is directly tied with external development. He emphasized an increase in strengthening the trust between the government and society.

“If the processes get out of control and the problems worsen, then obviously it will have negative impacts. Azerbaijan is hoping for a division among our society, to use it as a factor in this situation. This is Azerbaijan’s expectation,” he said.

According to him, Azerbaijan started moving its military equipment, intensifying its military engineering activity and propaganda on April 12.

Abrahamyan said that the last week was marked with intensive movement and accumulation of military equipment along the contact line.

“Especially active are special forces units this week,” Abrahamyan wrote on his Facebook page.


comments

Advertisement