Nagorno-Karabakh War - Armenia vs Azerbaijan

Maybe at least it will be possible to slow down here, although there are still a couple of points of tension on the way. Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.
The Armenian Security Council reported that Yerevan and Baku have agreed on a truce

Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan
They hope that Azerbaijan will comply with the agreement
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said that the state has reached an agreement on a truce with Azerbaijan. However, there is no document for the parties to sign yet.

"With the involvement of the international community, it was possible to reach an agreement on a ceasefire," Grigoryan said (quoted by RIA Novosti).

It is noted that the agreement came into force from 20:00 on September 14. The Secretary of the Security Council expressed hope that Baku will comply with it.

However, the protests are still ongoing. In Yerevan, protesters from the podium read out the names and surnames of deputies who, in their opinion, should sign the impeachment of Prime Minister Pashinyan.

Earlier, Readovka wrote that the Russian Embassy in Yerevan recommends citizens not to visit border territories. Protests against the escalation of the conflict continue in both countries that the Russian Embassy in Yerevan recommends citizens not to visit border territories.


Emilia Rudneva
В Совбезе Армении сообщили, что Ереван и Баку договорились о перемирии

Может хоть здесь удастся притормозить, хотя на подходе еще пара точек напряженности. Таджикистан-Киргизия и Грузия.
 
Are they interviewing for a new protector?

First: Russian sent peacekeepers to Nagorno Karabakh THEN hostilities broke on the Armenian side of the boarder, and there were dead and wounded from both sides. Where were the Russian peacekeepers? I've not seen an answer to that yet.

Second: Russian sends an emissary. Makes a plan. Then leaves. Maria Zakharova said we made a plan, it’s up to them (Azerbaijan and Armenia) to decide what to do. Not Russia. When asked what the plan was, she said. It was not to be disclosed. Up to them.

Then: Pelosi from the US shows up and says, we’ll help. Blinken was said to have had a meeting with Pashinyan at the UN, but it turned out to be only 28 seconds long, and virtually said nothing.

Then: Marcon and the EU offers to assist.

Was Armenia interviewing suiters?

An agreement was made today by the EU as follows: (But only for 2 months?)

"BRUSSELS, Oct. 17. /TASS/. The foreign ministers of 27 EU countries have agreed to set up a monitoring mission to solve problems on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the EU Council said in a statement released on Monday."

"The Council today decided to deploy up to 40 EU monitoring experts along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation in the region," the statement said."

"The EU stressed that the decision to set up a monitoring mission to the region followed a meeting between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France and the head of the European Council in Prague on October 6 and "is aimed at facilitating the restoration of peace and security in the area, the building of confidence and the delimitation of the international border between the two states."

"The EU Council explained that for the rapid deployment of the mission, "it was decided that the monitoring experts will be temporarily deployed from the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia)". "The monitoring mission will have a temporary nature and in principle will not last more than two months," the statement emphasized."


Is Amenia/Azerbaijan switching their protector from Russia to the EU? Or is the EU trying to buddy up with Turkish/Azerbaijan/Russia future gas barons and winners?

 

Iran Is Conducting "Massive" Military Drills On The Azerbaijan Border​


(Here are a few excerpts from the article, and remember the Israelis are also in Azerbaijan (with permission) keeping an eye on the Iranians?)

Iran Is Conducting "Massive" Military Drills On The Azerbaijan Border

"Iran will not permit the blockage of its connection route with Armenia,

The exercise indicates that “the armed forces’ determination to confront any regime that wants to cut Iran’s land connection with Armenia is serious,” tweeted Iranian military analyst Hossein Daliran.

While Tehran has for some time been warning Azerbaijan about its threats to Armenia, in recent days its talking points have incorporated a new perceived threat in the Caucasus: the “European military presence.”

The “European military presence” would seem to be a reference to a new European Union monitoring mission that began deploying to Armenia this week. That mission will be modest – 40 members, with a two-month mandate – but it seems to have spooked Iran. More Europeans could be coming: the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced that it would be sending an “assessment mission” to Armenia between October 21 and 27.

How the European presence in Armenia may change Iran’s strategic calculations remains to be seen. But Armenia continues to count on support from Tehran.

“Iran's principled position regarding the inevitable need to protect Armenia's internationally recognized borders and territorial integrity and to condemn the recent military aggression undertaken by Azerbaijan was emphasized,”

The article below:

Iran Is Conducting "Massive" Military Drills On The Azerbaijan Border | ZeroHedge
 

Putin invites leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks​

"The trilateral summit will provide an opportunity to discuss “alarming trends” in the region, the Foreign Ministry said"

"Putin invites leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks
The trilateral summit will provide an opportunity to discuss “alarming trends” in the region, the Foreign Ministry said"

"spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who confirmed the news on Monday, Moscow is concerned about the “alarming trends” in the region, “where the West is clearly trying to transfer the confrontational schemes tested in Ukraine.”

"Commenting on the process of bringing the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan to an end, the spokeswoman accused the West of pursuing a “tactless and aggressive” approach."

“The true goals of Washington and Brussels are by no means the search for a compromise or balanced solutions, but self-promotion and squeezing Russia out of the South Caucasus,” Zakharova claimed."

 
Here's what I see:

Tukey: is mute (on this issue), while consolidating power and infrastructure.

Azerbaijan: has a close military relationship with Israel. Israel has an airbase in Azerbaijan and trains the Azerbaijanis militarily. Azerbaijan supplies 40% of Israeli oil though it's pipeline.

The European union: has "somehow" talked the Armenians into letting them "observe" in order to "help" on the Armenian side of the border for 2 months.

Iran: is massing military on the Azerbaijani border (where the Israeli base is) because they are not comfortable with the Europeans being in Armenia.

(Israel and Iran are "not friends" just like Armenia and Azerbaijan are not friends.)

Putin is: "concerned" about the Armenian/Azerbaijan situation.
 
The President of Azerbaijan Silences the British Journalist

Alyev the president of Azerbaijan silences the British journalist who gives him lessons on human rights and freedom of the press by recalling the Assange case. Priceless.

 
The product of another "color revolution"-Pashinyan diligently fulfills the agenda of his masters. The people of Armenia will sooner or later say "thank you" to him, for example, like their neighbors in Georgia, where the famous tie-eater is in a prison hospital after another attempt to arrange a "mess" in his native country.
Pashinyan publicly accused the CSTO of complete inaction against the background of the situation with Azerbaijan
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed disappointment in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Reppublica. This happened against the background of the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan and the lack of active actions on the part of Russia and other CSTO members in defense of Armenia, despite existing contractual obligations.

"The situation you described with the functionality and contractual capacity of the CSTO speaks of a crisis. I don't think this is a problem only of Armenia, it is a problem of the CSTO as a whole," Pashinyan said.

He stressed that the Armenian society has experienced and continues to experience deep disappointment in the alliance.

This position of the Armenian leader speaks of the growing distrust not only of Russia as a key player of the CSTO, but also of the very structure of the alliance. According to Pashinyan, at the last CSTO summit held in Yerevan in the fall, Armenia did not ratify or join a number of key documents.

Pashinyan's criticism of Russia and the CSTO causes serious concern, since Yerevan independently evades the implementation of peace agreements, promoting exclusively its own interests.
Пашинян публично обвинил ОДКБ в полном бездействии на фоне ситуации с Азербайджаном

He thought no one would notice. And there they can blame it on the Azerbaijanis.
Azerbaijani drone recorded arson attacks by Armenian military
Yesterday, Armenia announced the death of Lieutenant Colonel of the rescue service Armen Gasparyan, who, according to them, died while extinguishing a fire caused by an Azerbaijani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strike. However, the materials from the camera of the Bayraktar TB2 drone clearly show that the Armenians themselves were engaged in arson.

The video published by the Azerbaijani media refutes the Armenian statements and points to an attempt to create a smoke screen to obstruct the work of Azerbaijani UAVs. These data call into question the credibility of the Armenian version of events and raise questions about the use of tactics of warfare that may pose a threat to the civilian population.

It is noteworthy that the day before Pashinyan accused the CSTO of inaction against the background of the situation with Azerbaijan, however, the current situation indicates that Armenia is independently going to provocations in the region.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the video with evidence of arson by the Armenian military, however, this could seriously aggravate the situation in the region, since provocations by Armenia now have documentary evidence.
Азербайджанский беспилотник зафиксировал поджоги армянских военных

Произведение очередной "цветной революции"-Пашинян старательно отрабатывает повестку своих хозяев. Народ армении рано или поздно скажет ему "спасибо", например как у их соседей, в Грузии,где знаменитый поедатель галстуков обретается в тюремной больничке после очередной попытки устроить в родной стране "заварушку".
Он думал, что никто не заметит. А там и на азербайджанцев свалить можно.
 
We continue to observe the result of another color revolution. The pro-Western government of Armenia, led by Soros Pashinyan, is carrying out its program, which consists in the most tragic "merging" of Artsakh with Azerbaijan and, against this background, tearing Armenia away from Russia. However, there is Iran nearby, which, for its own reasons, is not at all interested in strengthening Azerbaijan. A complex tangle of interests.
Armenia has taken unfriendly steps towards Moscow and is preparing for the largest escalation in 30 years
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its concern about a number of actions on the part of Armenia, which were called "unfriendly". In this regard, Armenian Ambassador Vagharshak Harutyunyan was summoned to Moscow. According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomat was given a tough presentation, as well as a note of protest.

Among the actions that caused concern to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is indicated. In addition, the visit of the Armenian Prime Minister's wife to Kiev and the transfer of humanitarian aid were noted. In addition, military exercises with the participation of the United States are planned to be held on the territory of Armenia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed concern over the statements of the Armenian side regarding doubts about the need to preserve allied relations within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and bilateral partnership with Russia. Nevertheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that allied relations remain between the two countries and all agreements will be implemented in the interests of the peoples of both countries.

Additional tension in relations was added by the words of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Alain Simonyan, who made a disrespectful statement to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. In this regard, a protest note was also sent to the Armenian Ambassador in Moscow.

At the same time, there are reports that Armenia may officially leave the CSTO by the end of this month, and at the same time demand that the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the military leave the facilities on the territory of the country. There are no official comments on this from Yerevan yet, however, the situation is very tense.
Армения пошла на недружественные шаги в отношении Москвы и готовится к крупнейшей за 30 лет эскалации

Armenian media reports on the alleged arrival of Russian special forces in Armenia
Against the background of increasing tension in relations between Baku and Yerevan, and the emergence of the risk of war between the two countries, Armenian information resources report the alleged arrival of special units of the Russian army in the republic. According to the data provided, a group of military specialists from Russia arrived in Armenia a few hours ago. This is reported by the "Telegram" channel "Baghramyan 26".

"Information about the arrival of Russian special forces in Armenia is confirmed by other sources. Now two scenarios are being played out [the development of the conflict]," the Telegram-channel "Baghramyan 26" said.

There are no reliable facts that allow us to confirm the arrival of Russian special forces in Armenia, however, according to the testimonies of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides. The situation on the border between the two countries is very tense.

It should be noted that the Russians do not comment on the information of Armenian resources.
Армянские медиа сообщают о предположительном прибытии в Армению российских спецподразделений

Armenia and Iran are pulling hundreds of weapons to the borders of Azerbaijan, preparing for war
Satellite images and data from Azerbaijani drones indicate a significant increase in the number of units of the Armenian Armed Forces on the border with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. This step by Armenia caused the retaliatory deployment of Azerbaijani troops on the section of this border.

Meanwhile, the new military tension in this region has not gone unnoticed by neighboring States. According to local sources, Iran has also begun transferring military equipment to its border, which is adjacent to Armenia and Azerbaijan. A video was obtained from an Iranian military journalist showing military vehicles moving along the Araks River.

Observers believe that the increase in tension in this region may lead to a new military conflict. Of particular concern is the presence of Iranian military equipment on the border, which makes the situation even more complex and multifaceted.

At the moment, relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia leave much to be desired, given the regular violations of the ceasefire regime, as well as provocations by the so-called Republic of Artsakh.
Армения и Иран стягивают к границам Азербайджана сотни единиц вооружения, готовясь к войне

Продолжаем наблюдать результат очередной цветной революции. Прозападная власть Армении во главе с соросовским Пашиняном выполняет свою программу, которая заключается в максимально трагичном "слитии" Арцаха Азербайджану и на этом фоне оторвать Армению от России. Однако рядом есть Иран, который по своим соображениям совсем не заинтересован в усилении Азербайджана. Сложный клубок интересов.
 
The destructive behavior of the Armenian authorities in reorienting the country to the West is already obvious to everyone. They are ready to sacrifice Artsakh because the only thing that prevents Azerbaijan from taking Artsakh is the position of Russia and also possibly the Syunik region.
Armenia is urged to return to negotiations "before it's too late"
In light of the ongoing tensions in the South Caucasus, Turkey and Azerbaijan jointly appealed to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to stop trying to involve the United States and France in negotiations and start working in the 3+3 format, which includes Russia, Iran, Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Both states emphasize the importance of regional cooperation and say that the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia should go in parallel and synchronously with the process of improving relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The publication notes that Azerbaijan and Turkey have a common position on this issue and solving the problems of the region is possible only in cooperation with the countries of the region.

Today, the situation in the region is very difficult. The key problem is not the position of Azerbaijan or Armenia, but rather the heating up of the situation by the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, as Baku stressed earlier that Azerbaijan has no claims against Armenia.
Армению призывают вернуться к переговорам "пока не поздно"

These poor wretches seem to have been brainwashed enough. The handwriting of the West is clearly visible. The Armenian authorities, as proteges of the West, "merge" Artsakh, and blame Russia for this.
In Artsakh, they call for a blockade of the Russian humanitarian convoy and forbid local residents to receive Russian aid
Mass gatherings of the local population took place in Askeran, which is located on the territory of Artsakh. As it became known from the messages of a local resident, a group of people gathered near the Akna-Askeran road in order to block the way of a Russian truck carrying humanitarian aid.

The discontent that has arisen is due to the conviction of part of the population that Russia is trying to promote its political interests in the region under the guise of humanitarian aid. The main complaint is the conviction of many residents that Russia's real goal is to try to integrate Artsakh into Azerbaijan, and not to provide real assistance to the population.


Such provocations by the self-proclaimed republic are extremely surprising, especially since Russia is the only country that has sent humanitarian aid to local residents. Among other things, sources said that local residents are obliged to refuse assistance from Russia.
В Арцахе призывают устроить блокаду российского гуманитарного конвоя и запрещают местным жителям получать российскую помощь

Russian humanitarian cargo detained in Azerbaijan
According to the Report portal, a car with food and humanitarian aid intended for the Armenians of Artsakh is being detained in the Barda region of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that the truck was supposed to arrive in Askeran on September 10 at 10:00, it still has not reached its destination.

The Azerbaijani side points to the "destructive position of the separatists in Karabakh." In addition, it is claimed that the delay is the result of pressure from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Western countries on the Russian Red Cross Society.

The Russian side has not yet commented on such a situation, however, the circumstances may also be related to the purely Artsakh side, since earlier in Nagorno-Karabakh they announced that they would block the movement of the Russian convoy, and according to local residents, they were banned from receiving humanitarian aid.
Российский гуманитарный груз задержали в Азербайджане

Уже всем очевидно деструктивное поведение властей Армении по переориентации страны на запад. Они готовы пожертвовать Арцахом ибо единственное, что мешает Азербайджану забрать Арцах это позиция России а также возможно и Сюникской областью.
Этим несчастным, похоже, уже достаточно промыли мозги. Почерк запада просматривается отчетливо. Власти Армении, как ставленники запада "сливают" Арцах, а обвиняют в этом Россию.
 
Only yesterday, I wrote in the Russia-Ukraine thread
A comment on Armenia
A few days ago, the Russian Government was unhappy with the Armenians making military games with the US.
Today, I learned that the US embassy in Yerevan is huge compared to the size of the country and its population of only 3 million people.
And now
15 Sep, 2023 14:56
‘An explosive situation’ near Russia’s southern borders: Could a new war erupt between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

Tensions between Baku and Yerevan mount again, against a background of increasing US and EU activity in the region
The situation in the South Caucasus is once again becoming tense, as the long-term conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh is on the verge of escalating into another hot war.

Almost every day the two sides open fire at each other and exchange accusations. Last weekend, Baku reported that Armenia had fired at its army, while just several hours later, Yerevan said that its own forces had been attacked. The events are unfolding against the background of Armenia’s joint military exercises with the United States, which will continue until September 20 – a fact that, in turn, has perplexed Russia.

The EU has also intervened in the situation and is actively holding talks with both Yerevan and Baku. For its part, Moscow believes that Brussels is responsible for escalating the conflict in the region.

The trigger​

Over the past few years, Baku and Yerevan have repeatedly discussed signing a peace agreement which would officially determine the borders of the two countries. Just a few months ago, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said “there is virtually no serious obstacle to a peace treaty… I am sure that a peace treaty can be signed in the near future.”

However, earlier this month, the conflict between the two countries escalated once again. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that on September 1, the Azerbaijani armed forces had “launched another provocation” in the Sotk-Khoznavar area of Syunik Province in southern Armenia, and three Armenian soldiers were killed as a result.

Baku, however, claimed that one of its serviceman was wounded by fire from the Armenian side. Later, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that the Armenian Armed Forces used a drone to attack the Azerbaijani army at the border, and that two other soldiers were wounded.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense also stated that Yerevan attacked the Azerbaijani army using mortars, artillery, and drones.

Both sides accused each other of aggravating the situation. Baku claimed that the Armenian side is publishing false information and trying to “form a false opinion in the international community to prepare the ground for another provocation”.

Growing tension​

A few days later, several videos showing huge columns of Azerbaijani military equipment moving towards the border with Armenia appeared on the internet, sparking active discussions. Pashinyan insisted that Azerbaijan was accumulating military forces on the border and in the Karabakh region, while allegedly continuing to lay claim to Armenia’s sovereign territory. He also cited, what he called, the growing number of anti-Armenian statements that incite hatred in the Azerbaijani press and on propaganda platforms.

RT

A general view from Azerbaijan's Shusha, 2023 Cultural Capital of Turkic World as reconstruction and restoration works continue on July 30, 2023. © Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

According to Pashinyan, the situation on the border is ‘explosive’. He called on the global community to take urgent measures to prevent a further escalation of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry described statements about the concentration of Azerbaijani forces on the border as “political manipulation.” Azerbaijani diplomats noted that “the continuation of military-political provocations by Armenia, ongoing claims voiced by Armenia including its prime minister against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and the non-withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, contrary to its obligations, are real threats to security in the region.”

“In order to establish peace and security in the region, Armenia must abandon its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, put an end to military and political provocations, and stop the obstacles to the successful outcome of the negotiation process on the peace treaty,”
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry commented.

The essence of the conflict​

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh – territory which legally belongs to Azerbaijan but is inhabited mainly by Armenians – has been going on for several decades.

In the latter years of the USSR, the influence of the central authorities grew weaker and ethnic conflicts sprang up in the region, just like in other remote parts of the huge country. These conflicts soon turned into bloody clashes. In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast declared its secession from the Azerbaijani SSR. In the last months of the Soviet Union’s existence, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) was proclaimed, but was not recognized by any UN member state, not even Armenia. The territorial dispute led to an armed confrontation between the subsequently independent Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the conflict remains unresolved to this day.

During the 1992-1994 military conflict, Baku lost control over Karabakh and seven adjacent districts. This allowed Armenia to both defend the “independence” of the self-proclaimed NKR and create a so-called “security belt” around Karabakh. According to various estimates, as a result of the armed conflict, 4,000-11,000 people were killed on the Azerbaijani side and around 5,000-6,000 people on the Armenian side. For the past 30 years, there has been an ongoing attempt to resolve the situation within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group (involving Russia, the US and France), and in the course of meetings between representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan, but this has not yielded results.

The situation changed as a result of the Second Karabakh War, which began in September 2020. During the 44 days of active hostilities, the Azerbaijanis managed to take control of a significant part of their territories south of Karabakh and the strategically important city of Shusha. Control over this city made further attempts to continue the war virtually meaningless.

The war ended on November 9, 2020, when Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in Karabakh. According to the document, Baku restored control over most of the territories it lost in the 1990s, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the line of contact and in the Lachin corridor, which links Armenia with the unrecognized NKR.

Nevertheless, a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not been signed to this day.

“Corridor wars”

In March of last year, Azerbaijan proposed five conditions for a peace agreement with Armenia: mutually recognizing state borders, confirming the absence of territorial claims, refraining from the use of military force and threats of force, demarcating the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border, and opening transport communications. Among other things, this included the opening of the Zangezur corridor – a route that would pass through Armenia’s Syunik province and connect Baku and the western regions of the country with the exclave of Nakhchivan. The road would then stretch further to Turkey, and over time, would lead Armenia out of the transport isolation which it has found itself in since the First Karabakh war.

The trilateral ceasefire statement of November 9, 2020 includes a paragraph stating that Russian border guards will control the Zangezur corridor. By signing the document, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia agreed that the corridor would be extraterritorial.

Despite this, Armenia began boycotting the project, viewing it as a threat to national security. Armenian authorities explained that their fears were based on Azerbaijan’s occasional remarks that Syunik province is historical Azerbaijani land. In July, Pashinyan stated that “Armenia has never, neither verbally nor in writing, assumed any corridor obligation and will not accept any such interpretation.”

RT

FILE PHOTO: In this image taken from video released by the Armenian Defense Ministry on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, Armenian solders guard their position in the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. © Armenian Defense Ministry via AP
When the Zangezur Corridor project was de facto frozen, Azerbaijan focused on another transportation artery ensured by the trilateral agreement: the Lachin corridor, which connects the unrecognized NKR with Armenia.

Since the winter of 2022-2023, Baku has issued a series of “warnings” about the inadmissibility of delaying peace talks, Meanwhile, Armenia claimed that Karabakh had fallen under a “blockade.” The authorities of the unrecognized NKR have blamed Baku for cutting off natural gas supplies, the only source of heat for thousands of civilians. Armenia then accused Azerbaijan of blocking access to numerous trucks with humanitarian aid.

Azerbaijan denies responsibility for the “blockade,” and local media show cars with Armenian license plates moving in both directions. Moreover, Azerbaijani authorities have offered to transport food and medicine along an alternative route.

Mutual accusations​

While Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of provoking a humanitarian crisis in Karabakh, Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of sabotaging the agreements.

Moreover, there is still the unresolved problem of non-Azerbaijani military formations stationed in Karabakh, whose withdrawal is provided for by a tripartite agreement. “Although Armenia was forced to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, there are still remnants of the Armenian armed forces on the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed,” President Aliyev said in July.

Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan replied that no representatives of the Armenian Armed Forces remain in Karabakh, however, the Artsakh Defense Army (the Armenian name for Karabakh) is still stationed there. According to Pashinyan, the Artsakh Defense Army has not been disbanded because of Baku's policy. He also stated that Armenia's peacekeeping attempts did not lead Azerbaijan to take any symmetrical steps. For example, according to Pashinyan, Yerevan handed over maps of minefields to Baku, which allowed Azerbaijan to start large-scale mine clearance work. “Azerbaijan took no adequate step in response,” he said.

Put together, all these factors not only prevent the possibility of concluding a peace agreement, but also escalate the conflict. A very dangerous situation is currently brewing on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Nikolai Silaev, senior researcher at the Center for Caucasus and Regional Security Issues at MGIMO.

“The situation is explosive, but all is not lost. In order to de-escalate it, it is necessary to fulfill all the terms of the tripartite declarations, starting with the declaration signed in November 2020. I don't see any other way of preserving peace,” the analyst told RT.

External influence​

Meanwhile, the rift in relations between Moscow and Yerevan – which turned to the West for support even before the escalation started – has grown drastically. In January, EU foreign ministers approved the creation of a civilian EU mission in Armenia to “promote de-escalation in the Caucasus.” The stated goal is to increase stability and confidence in the border areas of Armenia and create an environment conducive to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. EU Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell noted that the establishment of the EU mission in Armenia “launches a new phase in the EU’s engagement in the South Caucasus”.

On May 1, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had their first meeting in a long time, organized by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken near Washington.
RT

FILE PHOTO: Azerbaijani soldiers salute their dead comrades at the Honorary Alley and the Alley of Martyrs as they pay them their last respect in Baku, Azerbaijan, Friday, Dec. 4, 2020. © AP Photo

No concrete actions were proposed on the issue of the “blockade.” Nonetheless, the US side demanded to unblock the corridor, hoping to obtain Yerevan’s support in the long term.

Moscow noticed the gesture and was obviously irritated, seeing in it the West’s desire to settle the conflict on its own terms.
“There are no other legal grounds yet that would contribute to the settlement [of the situation] so there is absolutely no alternative to these tripartite documents. We know as well that there are various attempts that undermine the foundations of the settlement, which may not yield results in the future,” said Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, in May.

By the beginning of September, the contradictions intensified. They were triggered by the Armenian Defense Ministry’s statement regarding plans to hold joint US-Armenian military exercises “Eagle Partner 2023” at the Zar Training Center in mid-September.

This was preceded by a scandalous interview given by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the La Repubblica newspaper. Speaking to a French journalist, the politician said Russia is unwilling to resolve the crisis and lift the Karabakh “blockade.” Moreover, Pashinyan said that the peacekeepers are incapable of fulfilling their mission when it comes to ensuring civilian security and countering Baku's plans to expand the controlled territory.

These statements did not go unnoticed by Russia. In response to the prime minister's statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the Karabakh “blockade” “a consequence of his own actions.” She also called the Armenian leader a “bad dancer” who tries to shift the blame for the current situation onto its historical ally.

“What Pashinyan is doing is clearly provoking the current situation. I do not know why he is doing this. Perhaps he was taught so by the bad boys from the European Union,” Alexey Martynov, Director of the International Institute of the Newly Established States, told RT.

By Christina Sizova, a Moscow-based reporter focused on politics, sociology and international relations
Press TV had an article:

Caucasus region is key ‘security axis’ for region, especially Iran, Russia: Analyst

Wednesday, 13 September 2023 10:28 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 13 September 2023 10:28 AM ]

By Ali Ghorban Bagheri

Iran’s concerns over the escalation of tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia are legitimate because security in the Caucasus region is tied to regional security, says a political analyst.


Mohammadali Abo Haroon, a political analyst and author based in Iraq, in conversation with the Press TV website, expounded on the situation in the Caucasus and the role of external hostile entities in changing the geopolitical landscape.

“Iran's position on the security of the Caucasus region is clear as it considers it the security of the region,” Haroon stated, adding that Tehran has always strived to ease tensions between estranged neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In a phone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi said his country was ready to play an effective role in preventing new confrontation in the region and any geopolitical changes in the disputed Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

President Raeisi reiterated Iran's support for the territorial integrity of all regional countries.

Situated in the South Caucasus, the landlocked region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the heart of a long-running dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two countries have fought two wars, in 1994 and 2020, over the mountainous territory.

Tensions continue to flare up occasionally and border skirmishes are also a common phenomenon despite mediation efforts by Russia and other entities.

Azerbaijan’s defense minister on Saturday received an Iranian delegation and both sides discussed reconstruction work undertaken in the liberated territories as well as the operational situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border and in the Karabakh economic region.

Haroon told the Press TV website that Iran has always declared its readiness to mediate between Baku and Yerevan in order to reduce tensions and resolve differences “which are not in anyone's interest.”

The analyst described the Caucasus region as an “important security axis” for countries in the region, especially Iran and Russia.

In response to a question about the role of regional countries in preventing foreign interference in this region, he said the conflict in the Caucasus region should be resolved at the regional level and away from foreign interference, “because a regional solution is the key to stability in the region.”

He said the Azerbaijani authorities must not allow Zionists to gain a foothold in the country and should not fall into the trap of changing international borders.

“I believe Tehran and Moscow should work together to solve this crisis and prevent the interference of the Zionists and the West, whose purpose is to disturb the security of the region,” Haroon asserted.
If Russia and Iran manage to work with the parties, then it could strengthen them, it may not work as the EU-US chaos agents would like.
 
That's how, diligently, gradually the country is being put in place of Georgia and Ukraine. We will wonder later - how did they manage to drive another country crazy? However, the aforementioned huge American embassy in Armenia and a bunch of Western NGOs working in this country are not eating their bread in vain.
Everything secret ever becomes clear

We did some work and found out something. Now more than 4,000 military personnel from 14 countries* are taking part in the Sabre Junction 23 exercises in Germany.

The topic of the exercise: "Conducting a stabilization operation in the area of responsibility." Its goal is to increase joint training and interoperability between NATO member states and partner countries.

We would like to focus your attention on the features of this teaching, namely:

1. A city has been built at the Hohenfels training ground, in which actors play the role of residents. According to the scenario, with the outbreak of hostilities, the situation in the region worsens, refugees appear, spontaneous rallies are held, heated from the Internet. According to the plan, the troops will work out issues of military-civil cooperation, as well as countering asymmetric threats, for example, related to sabotage and cyber attacks.

2. An international division under the command of officers of the 11th td of the Polish Armed Forces acts as defenders. It should be recalled that the formations and military units of the 11th td have been completed to the wartime states and withdrawn to the areas of concentration in the Brest direction.

3. Part of the weapons involved in the exercises is identical to the equipment that the Polish army is currently being equipped with or will be supplied to it in the near future. This applies to AH-64D Apache attack helicopters and HIMARS MLRS. Thus, during the exercises, Polish servicemen will be able to gain experience in the use of new VVST models in conditions close to real ones.

4. American units are fighting a "real" enemy. The role of the designation troops is performed by units of 34 tbr and 2 icbms of the Polish Armed Forces, which are armed with equipment of the old fleet and, by coincidence, are in service with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (T-72 tanks, etc.).

And now, the cherry on the cake is the composition of the participating countries: * Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Great Britain and the USA.

Although the Armenians denied their participation in the exercises, the "new reliable friends" leaked them.

It is urgently necessary to clarify with the CSTO member state why it takes part in NATO exercises and constantly ignores maneuvers with Russia? Or is there something else we don't know?
https://rusvesna.su/news/1694617194

Вот так, старательно, постепенно страну укладывают на место Грузии и Украины. Мы потом будем удивляться- как они сумели свести с ума очередную страну? Однако вышеупомянутое огромное американское посольство в Армении и куча западных НКО, работающие в этой стране, совсем не зря едят свой хлеб.
 

Azerbaijan has ‘unleashed large-scale aggression’ – Armenia

"Baku has declared a counter-terrorism operation over Yerevan’s alleged military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh"

"Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the warning came “minutes before military action began.”

 

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