BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 29
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Armenia wants provocations rather than define borders with Azerbaijan, the editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko told Trend.
According to Korotchenko, it was no coincidence that the provocation was being prepared for the Independence Day of Azerbaijan, which is celebrated on May 28.
“The provocation was prepared precisely for this date. It was planned to mine communications, supply routes so that Azerbaijani servicemen and Azerbaijani equipment hit the installed mines. That was the whole point,” he said.
Besides, according to the expert, such transfers of sabotage groups, in this case, two groups, to cross the state border were sanctioned at least by the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of Armenia.
“I cannot rule out that this provocation, perhaps, was even coordinated with (Prime Minister) Pashinyan. This was necessary to raise the falling rating of Pashinyan, who is accused by opponents on the eve of early parliamentary elections,” Korotchenko noted.
He stressed that the version of the Armenian army that allegedly carried out some kind of engineering work on the territory of their unit is nonsense.
“At three o'clock in the morning, the personnel are asleep. We are well aware that night sabotage is the most convenient time for this kind of provocation. Armenia just once again discredited itself and is now trying to prove within the information war that it has nothing to do with it,” the expert further said.
He also commented on how dangerous such provocations from Armenia are. In his opinion, they can lead to a large-scale escalation of the armed conflict.
“All that Armenia is doing today is trying to drag the ODKB (Collective Security Treaty Organization) and Russia into the confrontation that is currently taking place on the borderline.
Armenia categorically doesn’t want to listen, neither wants to deal with the problem of border delimitation. However, first of all, clear establishing of the line of state borders means stability, absence of border incidents, finally, an understanding of who is who and in what territory,” said Korotchenko.
The expert also noted that a clear definition of the line of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a requirement of the time, and it is provided, in particular, in the trilateral statement.
Moreover, Russian President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov were in favor of assistance, and Russia is ready to assist the parties in the early start of this process. Armenia does not want this, therefore it needs provocations and a similar incident, in which Armenia could blame Azerbaijan and refuse to determine the exact lines of borders, at least for the near future, stressed Korotchenko.
As Azerbaijani Defense Ministry earlier said, a reconnaissance-sabotage group of Armenian Armed Forces undertook an attempt to enter Azerbaijan’s territory in the direction of the Yukhary Ayrim settlement of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar district near the state border on May 27.
Besides, the group attempted to carry out reconnaissance sabotage operations and terrorist activities aimed at mining roads. It was detected. As a result of immediate operational measures, 6 Armenian servicemen who tried to mine the roads leading to the positions of the Azerbaijani Army on the border were besieged, rendered harmless, and detained.
According to the Foreign Ministry, recently Armenia has been pursuing a policy of deliberately aggravating the situation on the border with Azerbaijan.
The transfer of the reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces to the territory of Azerbaijan, attempts at mining and sabotage are regarded as terrorist and provocative actions, the ministry said.
"While the mines laid by Armenia pose a threat to Azerbaijan, the sabotage committed on the Azerbaijani territory by a group of Armenian saboteurs and the next attempts to mine roads could become a serious threat to the lives of Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians," the ministry noted. "Azerbaijan stands for the elimination of tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border through negotiations and supports the calls of the international community for the delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries. Attempts aimed at violating the border of Azerbaijan are unacceptable."
"Armenia must stop actions aimed at escalating tensions on the border of the two countries and respect the borders of the neighboring state," added the ministry.
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