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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Armenia values Russian efforts for Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation — premier

The premier went on to say that he saw no reason to disclose details of proposals, including of those made by Russia

YEREVAN, November 24. /TASS/. Armenia values Russia’s efforts, aimed at soonest launch of the process to demarcate the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has told an online news conference.

"We said on many occasions that we want this issue to be solved. I would like to praise the efforts of the Russian president, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry regarding the issue of demarcation and delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The process is under way," he said.

The premier went on to say that he saw no reason to disclose details of proposals, including of those made by Russia, because this might interfere with the process.

On November 17, Pashinyan said, addressing Armenia's parliament, that Russia had suggested three times that Yerevan and Baku launch a border delimitation and demarcation process. Later, he said his country had received Russia’s proposals and was ready to approve them. Besides, he reaffirmed that maps of the Russian General Staff, which show the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as it was during the Soviet era, fully coincide with the borders set by Armenia’s law on administrative divisions. Russian President Vladimir Putin first mentioned those maps during the Valdai Discussion Club session on October 21.

Following the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone last autumn, control over seven provinces adjunct to Nagorno-Karabakh came over to Azerbaijan and Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces became adjacent to the border. The situation there deteriorated on May 12, when Armenia’s defense ministry said that Azerbaijani armed forces had tried to carry out "certain works" in a border area in Syunik Province in a bid to ‘adjust’ the border. Since then, the sides have been reporting border incidents from time to time.

On November 16, skirmishes between Armenian and Azerbaijani armies broke out in border areas in Syunik Province. Yerevan accused Azerbaijan of staging an offensive into Armenia’s territory, while Baku said that Armenian troops had attacked Azerbaijani posts. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had telephone conversations with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts later on that day, Yerevan and Baku took measures to stabilize the situation. However, the sides continue to report random skirmishes at the frontier.

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