Azerbaijan accused Armenia on Monday of building up its military presence — including hardware —along the border between the two countries. Yerevan called the accusation “disinformation,” saying Baku’s other assertion that Armenia is sending military assistance to Artsakh is false.
The European Union’s mission in Armenia said on Monday that during its routine daily monitoring efforts it has not noticed any Armenian troop buildup along the border, especially at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor, effectively refuting Baku’s claims.
“The EU Mission in Armenia daily monitors military & security situation from 4 operating bases patrolling alongside border area. Based on information on the ground, we see no unusual military movement or buildup, especially at the entrance to Lachin corridor,” the mission said on its page on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said that by stepping up is disinformation campaign, Azerbaijan intends to “aggravate the situation in the region.”
Yerevan said that Azerbaijan’s false claims about the presence of Armenian military units in Artsakh “do not correspond to reality,” adding that Armenia has refuted those claims several times in the past.
“We would like to draw the international community’s attention to the fact that the proposal of the Republic of Armenia to send an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to clarify this issue has been repeatedly rejected by Azerbaijan. In the context of Azerbaijan’s ongoing assertions, such a mission is clearly becoming more urgent,” emphasized the foreign ministry.
“It is also evident that one of the objectives of Azerbaijan’s disinformation campaign is to divert the international community’s attention from the escalating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is intensifying day by day, and from its steps to implement ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh through provoking a humanitarian catastrophe,” added Yerevan’s official statement.
The foreign ministry emphasized that through its eight-month-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor Azerbaijan has been violating the November 9, 2020 statement, adding that Baku has continuously breached the provisions of that agreement over the years. Official Yerevan also referred to Azerbaijan’s refusal to adhere to an order by the International Court of Justice to open the Lachin Corridor.
“Azerbaijan also continues to violate numerous agreements reached during negotiations. In particular, contrary to the Brussels agreement of May 14, 2023, until now, Azerbaijan has not made a clear statement on the recognition Armenia’s 29,800 square kilometer territory,” added the statement.
The foreign ministry pointed out that Azerbaijan is taking all possible steps to hinder dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, adding that a convoy of 19 trucks carrying 400 tons of humanitarian aid for Artsakh has been stranded at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor.
Yerevan called on Baku to refrain from any steps that can minimize the chances of achieving “long-term, stable and lasting peace” in the region.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia reaffirms the Armenian government’s commitment to the peace agenda and the agreements reached during negotiations and calls on all those in the international community interested in establishing peace and stability in the region to use all the means at their disposal in order to bring the Azerbaijani side on a constructive track,” Yerevan’s official statement added.
Azerbaijan, on the other hand, said that it has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. A statement by Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry accused Armenia of incessant territorial demands from Azerbaijan.
