Armenia reiterated its proposal to create a joint mechanism with Azerbaijan to investigate ceasefire violation incidents along the border between the two countries.
The latest prompt by the prime minister’s office stemmed from more allegations by Baku of ceasefire violations by Armenian forces.
“In recent days, the official sources of Azerbaijan have resumed publicizing violations of the ceasefire regime by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia on the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border. The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia has denied this information,” a statement from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s office said on Monday.
“Despite this, Azerbaijani sources continue making similar statements, peppered with geopolitical innuendos,” the statement added.
“The staff of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms its proposal to create a joint mechanism between Armenia and Azerbaijan to investigate cases of ceasefire violations and/or information about them,” the statement emphasized.
“We reaffirm the Armenian government’s commitment to the peace agenda within the framework of the already reached public agreements,” the statement said.
Armenia first made the proposal for such a mechanism to Azerbaijan in June after a barrage of accusations by Baku alleging ceasefire violations by Armenia’s Armed Forces.
The European Union was quick to welcome Yerevan’s initiative, with its special envoy to the Caucasus at the time, Toivo Klaar, taking to social media to offer the bloc’s help in facilitating such a mechanism.
“The proposal of Armenia to establish a bilateral mechanism to address alleged ceasefire violations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border to reduce tensions is to be welcomed,” Klaar said in a post on social media at the time.
Days later, the EU Mission in Armenia also voiced it support for the proposal.
The head of EUMA, Markus Ritter, said in June that his mission is ready to participate in the proposed joint investigations.
“But it is up to the two conflicting sides to decide whether the EU could have a role there,” added Ritter at the time. “This is a political decision that needs to be made in Yerevan and Baku. Of course, it would be very good to involve the EU monitoring mission.”
