Armenia’s leader on Thursday accused troops of Azerbaijan of crossing the southern border and trying to reinforce claim to territory, in a new rise of tensions between the arch-rivals.
In the early hours of Thursday, Armenia’s acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of new transgressions as he convened an emergency meeting of his security council. He said Azerbaijan’s troops had advanced more than three kilometers into southern Armenia and were trying to lay siege to Lake Sev Lich that is shared by the two countries.
“It is an encroachment on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. This is an act of subversive infiltration,” Pashinyan said. He also added that Armenian soldiers had responded with “appropriate tactical manoeuvres” but stressed that the latest tensions should be settled through negotiations.
In response, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said, “The reaction of Armenia, which makes provocative statements is astonishing. Azerbaijan is committed to defusing the tensions in the region and urges to take steps in that direction.”
