Armenian Foreign Ministry calls on Azerbaijan to stop actions  aimed  at escalation

ArmInfo. The provocative actions of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the night of April  5-6 have no excuse. By opening irregular fire on numerous sections of the border and moving dozens of military vehicles, Azerbaijan has clearly pursued a provocative goal: to incite the units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia to take countermeasures in order to obtain facts that would "substantiate" the recent Azerbaijani disinformation. This is stated in a statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

As reminder: according to the RA Ministry of Defense, on the night of  April 5-6, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire with  varying intensity from small arms of various calibers at the  positions of the Armenian Armed Forces in a number of directions in  the border zone. The fire was opened in the direction of the villages  of Ggarkunik, Syunik and Tavush. During the period from 21:00 to  23:00 the units of the Armenian Armed Forces observed significant  vehicle movements of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces towards  Ishkhanasar. 

The Armenian Foreign Ministry emphasized that after assessing the  situation, the units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia  did not take any actions leading to further escalation, and the  situation along the border calmed down.  "The Ministry of Foreign  Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms that Armenia is not  interested in escalating the situation in the region and calls on  Azerbaijan to stop actions aimed at such an escalation.

We also consider Azerbaijan's assessments on the creation of defence  structures on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia  unjustified since reforms in the army and army infrastructure is the  sovereign right of any country. At the same time, we would like to  remind that the proposals of the Republic of Armenia for a mirror  withdrawal of troops from the Armenia- Azerbaijan state border, the  creation of mutual arms control mechanisms, the signing of a non-  aggression pact and the demilitarization of territories adjacent to  the state border remain unanswered.

The accusations against Armenia regarding the acquisition of weapons  for defence purposes are also not understandable as Azerbaijan  acquires many times more weapons than the Republic of Armenia, and  Armenia receives comprehensive information about that.

We officially reaffirm the commitment of the Republic of Armenia to  the peace agenda, as well as our proposal to Azerbaijan to create  mechanisms for mutual arms control and demilitarization of  territories adjacent to the border between the two countries," noted  in a statement by the Armenian foreign policy department.