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Yerevan politicizes situation at border by turning to CSTO, Baku says

CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told TASS that the consultations are expected to be held in the coming days

BAKU, May 15. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry considers the address of Armenian leadership to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) regarding the situation at the border of the two countries as an attempt to politicize the issue, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin in a phone conversation on Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry press service.

"The minister Jeyhun Bayramov brought to the attention of the foreign minister of Tajikistan currently chairing the CSTO that Armenia's address to the Collective Security Treaty Organization on this issue (the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border) is absolutely groundless and represents no other than the attempt by the Armenian leadership to politicize the issue," the statement said.

Azerbaijan’s foreign minister told his Tajik colleague that the leadership of the Azerbaijani state border service was immediately dispatched to the site of the incident where the talks with Armenian border guards were held. "The head of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that such incidents should be resolved via political means and negotiations," the statement noted.

On Friday, the press service of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry reported that Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had sent letters to the CSTO Council Chairman, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as to other members of the organization, over the situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border with a request to initiate consultations in accordance with the Article 2 of the Treaty. According to this article, in the event of a threat to the security, stability, or territorial integrity and sovereignty of one or several of the member states, or a threat to international peace and security, the member states must immediately engage a joint consultations mechanism in order to coordinate their positions, as well as define and take measures in order to eliminate the emerging threat.

Later on Friday, CSTO spokesman Vladimir Zainetdinov told TASS that the consultations are expected to be held in the coming days.

On Wednesday, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attempted to carry out "certain operations" in the Syunik Region in a bid to "redefine the border." The Azerbaijani forces ceased their activities after the Armenian Armed Forces took measures in response. Negotiations are underway in order to sort out the situation. Pashinyan stated that the Azeri forces had crossed the Armenian border and moved 3.5 kilometers deep into its territory. He branded the incident as an attempt against Armenia’s sovereignty.