Spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khikmet Hajiyev, commenting on the Armenian Defense Ministry's reports about provocations on the contact line and losses, said that Armenia was conducting information sabotage by dragging out the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and keeping the status quo. Regular messages about provocations help Armenia draw public attention from its own economic, social and demographic problems.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reminded that the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia was the main cause of escalating tensions in the conflict zone. Hajiyev believes that Armenia should start the peace process by withdrawing from the occupied territories. He added that the UN should force Armenia to do so according to the UN Charter.
Andrey Petrov, deputy director general of the M.V. Lomonosov MSU Information and Analysis Center, reminded that the Armenian report was about shooting in the Tavush Region of Armenia and the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan. Petrov assured that Armenia was provoking tensions on the frontline to undermine development of the negotiation process. In his words, the information sabotage was an initiative for the Armenian population. The expert pointed out that there had been no confirmations of losses, including from OSCE monitoring missions.
