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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Yerevan eyes forming military and political alliance with Karabakh

Earlier, Armenian PM announced that Yerevan was also considering plans of recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence

Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh REUTERS/Staff

Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh

© REUTERS/Staff

YEREVAN, September 29. /TASS/. Amid the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia’s authorities are considering plans of establishing military and political alliance with the unrecognized republic, leader of the ruling parliamentary faction "My Step Alliance" Lilit Makunts wrote on her Facebook page.

"In the current situation our potential actions are being actively discussed, including concluding military and political alliance with Artsakh (unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic)," Makunts wrote.

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Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Yerevan was also considering plans of recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence.

On September 27, Baku announced that the Azerbaijani army’s positions had come under intensive shelling carried out by Armenia. In its turn, Yerevan claimed that Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces had launched an offensive in the direction of Nagorno-Karabakh, shelling the populated localities of the unrecognized republic, including the capital Stepanakert. Both parties reported casualties, including among the civilians. The Armenian authorities declared martial law and announced a mobilization. Azerbaijan also imposed martial law across its entire territory.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992 under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs - Russia, France and the United States.

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