Tuesday, July 14 2020 18:19

ArmInfo. It is difficult to reach consensus in the CSTO on the issue of decision-making, since the different countries that are part of the Organization have different relations with Azerbaijan.  Former Minister of Defense of Armenia  Seyran Ohanyan stated this in an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian  Service.

Ohanyan expressed hope that the CSTO will find courage and condemn  the provocation of Azerbaijan.  <We always turned to the  international community, not only to the CSTO, but also to the  co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, regarding the latest developments  in the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. We also touched upon the issue  of resolving the Artsakh problem, and related to the mechanisms of  trust and possibilities for exercising control. If they do not listen  to Azerbaijan, which was constantly against the introduction of such  mechanisms, it will very soon become clear which of the parties is  committing violations. It will become obvious that it was Azerbaijan  that carried out the provocation>, the former defense minister  emphasized.

He also noted that Armenia does not need to ask for military  assistance from the CSTO. <We can turn to the CSTO if there is a  larger, regional conflict. The Armed Forces of the Republic of  Armenia have no problems regarding the rout of the Armed Forces of  Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis are psychologically the same, and our armed  forces are fulfilling the task assigned to them. Moreover, this is a  private problem. The military units of the army corps solve these  problems on their own,> Ohanyan emphasized.

To note, on July 12 at about around 12:30 pm, the Azerbaijani Armed  Forces, for reasons unknown to the Armenian side, attempted to  violate the state border of the Republic of Armenia in the Tavush  direction by <UAZ> car. After the Armenian side warned them, the  enemy troops left the "UAZ" car, returned to their positions.  At  1:45 pm, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, using artillery fire, tried to  capture the Armenian stronghold, but were thrown back by the fire,  incurring loss of manpower. There are no losses from the Armenian  side.  At the evening, the enemy resumed shelling of Armenian  positions, in the direction of a strong point that had not previously  been captured.

All night from July 12 to July 13 and all yesterday, the Azerbaijani  Armed Forces intensively fired from the 82 mm mortars, tanks, 120 mm  grenade launchers the aforementioned strong point. Also used shock  drones.

The Armenian side warned the enemy that all responsibility for  further aggravation of the situation would fall on the  military-political leadership of Azerbaijan. The enemy on the eve  subjected to shelling the border communities of Chinari and Aygepar.  And today, from shock drones, it attacked the civilian infrastructure  of the city of Berd.