Armenia's Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia, Catherine Leach discussed the situation on the contact line of the Azerbaijan and Armenian armies, news.am website reported citing Armenia's Defense Ministry.
The two sides expressed concern about the escalation of tension and stressed that it is important to stabilize the situation. They reaffirmed that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved exclusively though peaceful negotiations within OSCE Minsk Group.
Armenian armed forces launched a diversion on the night of July 31-August 1, when reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to cross the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops through the territories of the Aghdam and Terter regions.
Armenia's reconnaissance and sabotage group attacked the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Aghdam and Agdere regions on the night of August 1-2. Azerbaijan managed to locate the group and the sabotage attempt was prevented.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN