In what many in Armenia see as a possible prelude to military action, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has issued since Sunday at least seven statements alleging such violations at various sections of the long border. The Armenian military denied all of those claims, challenging Baku to present evidence in support of them.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s office echoed those denials, insisting that “the Armenian army has no reason or order to violate the ceasefire.” In a statement, it noted that Baku has not agreed to joint investigations of reported armed incidents on the border which were proposed by Yerevan last year.
“The government of the Republic of Armenia is guided by a peace agenda,” the statement said, arguing that it accepted last week Azerbaijani proposals regarding the last remaining differences on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty discussed by the two sides.
It again urged Baku to start “consultations on the dates and venue for the signing of the treaty.”
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry dismissed Yerevan’s calls later in the day. The ministry spokesman, Aykhan Hajizade, not only repeated Baku’s claims about Armenian truce violations but also alleged a “large-scale” Armenian military buildup along the border.
Hajizade also made clear that a change of Armenia’s constitution, which Baku says contains territorial claims to Azerbaijan, remains the “main condition” for signing the peace accord. He went on to deplore Yerevan’s reluctance to open a land corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave.
“Azerbaijan will continue its peace efforts in all directions and will resolutely suppress steps that contradict this process,” added the official.
Pashinian’s office also revealed in its statement that in January this year it presented Baku with fresh proposals on Armenian-Azerbaijani transport links and “the establishment of a bilateral mechanism for mutual arms control.” It did not shed light on them. Nor did it say whether the proposals were made after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev renewed in early January his threats to open the “Zangezur corridor.”
Pashinian’s domestic critics have said all along that Aliyev has no intention to sign any peace deal before clinching more far-reaching concessions from the Armenian government. They maintain that Pashinian’s appeasement policy has only encouraged the Azerbaijani strongman to make more demands on Yerevan. The truce violations alleged by the Azerbaijani side have been construed by them as a further indication that Baku is preparing for fresh military action.