BAKU, April 6. /TASS/. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has rejected accusations from Armenia that Baku is deliberately escalating tensions in the region.

"The accusations from the Armenian Foreign Ministry that Azerbaijan is deliberately escalating the situation are unacceptable and ungrounded," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizadeh said in remarks that were issued in response to the Armenian Foreign Ministry's statement from earlier on Saturday.

According to the spokesman, such accusations "are aimed at diverting attention from the military provocations that have been regularly committed against units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in recent days and the buildup of Armenia's armed forces in various areas."

Hajizadeh said that "Armenia's aggressive arms purchases under various pretexts are a source of threat" and underscored the need to urge Yerevan to stay away from this dangerous path.

"To prove it feels serious about the peace process, Armenia should avoid contradictory statements and provocative steps and respect the norms and principles of international law. Azerbaijan, on its part, will resolutely suppress threats directed against it in the region and continue peaceful and constructive efforts," the Azerbaijani statement said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement that said Yerevan is not interested in escalating the situation in the region and called on Azerbaijan to stop escalatory actions.