Today the Armenian Defense Ministry issued an official message about the beginning of use of artillery and missiles on the contact line of troops in the zone of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border between the two countries, explaining this by the fact that Azerbaijani armed forces used artillery tools of 122-mm caliber in yesterday's battle.
"In order to suppress the enemy, to stop his actions and to contribute to the negotiation process, from now on the Armenian Armed Forces will use proportionate means of artillery and missile destruction, keeping the placements of the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, all movements of troops, military equipment and manpower under constant bombardment," the message says.
The Armenian defense ministry also stated that it considers the battle which took place last night to be a reason for transition to large-scale hostilities, warning the OSCE Minsk Group and the international community.
This statement was published at the very same time as New York hosted a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister has already described the Armenian actions as harmful to the negotiating process. "The true purpose of Armenia is the continuation of aggression and occupation. Armenia, in every possible way, prevents contacts between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which would contribute to the establishment of true trust," he pointed out.
Mammadyarov once again urged Armenia not to support war and the status quo on the front line, but to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories. "Azerbaijan participates in the negotiating process to resolve the conflict. But if Armenia won't withdraw from the occupied territories, Azerbaijan will take all necessary steps to restore its territorial integrity, sovereignty and to ensure the inviolability of its borders. All responsibility for any step that will be taken by the state-occupier and aggressor, fully lies with Armenia," Trend quoted him as saying.
