BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. Some “special interests” behind the scenes do not want peace in South Caucasus, Richard Hoagland, the former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from the US, told Trend.
He was commenting on the latest escalation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.
“Any firing or other disruptive events on the border, whether at checkpoints or elsewhere, is troubling because such incidents always have the potential to spiral out of control. As the Armenian and Azerbaijani leadership work committedly toward a true and lasting peace, it’s always important to remember that there are “special interests” behind the scenes that do not want peace and will test how far they can go to prevent a secure future,” he said.
Hoagland noted that for that reason, it’s important for representatives from both sides keep talking openly and honestly with each other in the interest of a true and lasting peace for their nations and for their people.
On June 15, 2023, at 08:45 (GMT+4), as a result of shelling from the territory of Armenia, a serviceman of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, who served at the Lachin border checkpoint, was wounded. The enemy firing point was suppressed by return fire, the situation is under the control of Azerbaijani units.