YEREVAN, September 29. /TASS/. Members of the disbanded army of the now-officially dissolved Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) have the option of joining Armenia’s armed forces, Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsyan told a news briefing.

"We would very much like servicemen from the Defense Army [of Nagorgno-Karabakh] to continue their service as Armenian Defense Ministry troops as they are our compatriots and their military expertise would be of benefit to the Armenian armed forces," he said.

On September 28, NKR President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree officially dissolving the unrecognized state effective January 1, 2024. The local ethnic Armenian population has been advised to consider the reintegration proposals being put forward by Baku and decide for themselves whether to remain or to relocate, most likely to nearby Armenia.

Azerbaijani officials have been registering ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to identify their legal status. According to the Armenian government, since September 24 more than 84,000 residents of the disputed territory have arrived in Armenia. Nagorno Karabakh has a population of some 120,000 people.

On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, said there were no Armenian forces in Karabakh, calling what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Russia has called on the parties to the conflict to stop the bloodshed, end hostilities, prevent civilian casualties, and go back to trying to settle the Karabakh issue diplomatically. On September 20, an agreement was reached to cease hostilities, and the next day representatives of Baku and the Karabakh Armenian population met in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh "to discuss reintegration issues."