YEREVAN: Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday accused each other for an exchange of fire along their restive border, which killed one person and wounded 4 days ahead of EU-hosted peace negotiations.
The Caucasus neighbour countries have been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which has recently reignited. Russia urged both sides to de-escalate tensions after the fatal exchange of fire, but Moscow’s influence as a power broker in the region has reduced since it launched its aggression against Ukraine last year.
Armenia initially said 4 of its soldiers had been injured by fire from eastern region of the ex-Soviet Union country. Armenia’s defence ministry said Azerbaijani troops are shooting mortars and artillery at Armenian positions in the Sotk region.
Baku meanwhile blamed Armenia for a “provocation” that had left one of its soldiers dead. It said Armenian forces had “once again violated the ceasefire deal” with ” heavy weapons,” referring to an agreement from November 2020 that ended 6 weeks of hostilities.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists Thursday that they expected a restrained approach from the parties, urging them not to take any actions that could escalate tensions.”
Peace negotiations
Thursday’s intensity in fighting comes just days before European Council (EC) President Charles Michel is to host Armenia’s leader Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels.
According to the EU, the two leaders had also agreed to meet the leaders of Germany and France on the sidelines of a European summit in Moldova on 1 June.
Pashinyan on Thursday blamed Azerbaijan of looking to “undermine the negotiations” in Brussels.
Pashinyan said he did not change his mind about going to Brussels, but there was “very little” chance of inking a peace agreement with Azerbaijan at the meeting.
A draft deal “is still at a very initial stage and it is too early to speak of an eventual signing”, said Pashinyan. –AFP
