Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry urges Armenia to stop escalating tensions on border

Attempts to violate the state border of Azerbaijan are unacceptable, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, commenting on the recent provocation of the Armenian Armed Forces in the direction of Kalbajar district.

As Azerbaijani Defense Ministry earlier said, a reconnaissance-sabotage group of Armenian Armed Forces undertook an attempt to enter Azerbaijan’s territory in the direction of the Yukhary Ayrim settlement of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar district near the state border on May 27.

Besides, the group attempted to carry out reconnaissance sabotage operations and terrorist activities aimed at mining roads. It was detected. As a result of immediate operational measures, 6 Armenian servicemen who tried to mine the roads leading to the positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the border were besieged, rendered harmless, and detained.

According to the Foreign Ministry, recently Armenia has been pursuing a policy of deliberately aggravating the situation on the border with Azerbaijan.

The transfer of the reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces to the territory of Azerbaijan, attempts at mining and sabotage are regarded as terrorist and provocative actions, the ministry said.

"While the mines laid by Armenia pose a threat to Azerbaijan, the sabotage committed on the Azerbaijani territory by a group of Armenian saboteurs and the next attempts to mine roads could become a serious threat to the lives of Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians,” the ministry noted. “Azerbaijan stands for the elimination of tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border through negotiations and supports the calls of the international community for the delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries. Attempts aimed at violating the border of Azerbaijan are unacceptable.”

“Armenia must stop actions aimed at escalating tensions on the border of the two countries and respect the borders of the neighboring state," added the ministry.