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Problem on border with Azerbaijan may be resolved by force, Armenian Defense Minister says

The Armenian official expressed regret that the CSTO response mechanisms do not correspond to the development of the operational situation

YEREVAN, August 9. /TASS/. Yerevan hopes to avoid tension at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border yet reserves the right to resolve the situation by force, Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan said during a meeting with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas on Monday, according to the press service of Armenia’s Defense Ministry.

"We were expecting your visit to Armenia in May when a highly grave situation unfolded for us. Unfortunately, your visit didn’t happen. Since May, the Azerbaijani armed forces have infiltrated Armenia’s sovereign territory in two directions. We support peace and do not want tension on our borders. At the same time, we are not ready to accept the situation when the Armenian border is violated. And if the problem is not resolved peacefully, we are reserving the right to resolve it by using force," the defense minister stated.

The Armenian official expressed regret that the CSTO response mechanisms do not correspond to the development of the operational situation.

The situation at the border has been tense since May 12. Back then, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces had attempted to carry out "certain operations" in the Syunik Province in a bid to "redefine the border." Both parties have been reporting sporadic incidents ever since then.

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