The Ministry of Defense Confirms Resumption of Talks Between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia in Moscow

The Ministry of Defense confirms that negotiations between representatives of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia resumed yesterday in Moscow. These trilateral discussions will be ongoing, the agency notes, without providing details on the specific agenda or participants of the meeting. This was reported by Azatutyun.

The Russian news agency TASS previously reported that a trilateral meeting took place on July 2 in Moscow to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. According to Armenian media, the return of six Armenian soldiers captured from Armenian territory eight days ago was also central to the discussions.

The Ministry of Defense has not disclosed how the negotiations concluded or whether the date for the next meeting is known. There has been no response to phone calls from the spokesperson for the acting Prime Minister and the head of the Press Division of the General Staff.

Various sources indicate that the meeting included the commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces, Muradov, and the deputy chief of the Armenian General Staff.

For 23 days, Azerbaijani troops have been encroaching on Armenian territories, advancing kilometers into the Gegharkunik and Syunik regions. One Armenian soldier has been killed and six captured due to Azerbaijani gunfire. Clashes and brawls between Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen occur regularly at the border, with the latest incident reported yesterday morning in Gegharkunik. The Ministry of Defense stated that firearms were not used in this case. Two Armenian soldiers sustained minor injuries.

In the villages of the region, residents are already accustomed to the presence of Azerbaijani tents in grazing areas and on their heights. Sima Chitchyan, the head of the Kut village community, says, “The Azerbaijanis remain in the same location. They are standing in the same places; we check the area with a telescope 30 times a day. Well, it’s not easy to see with the naked eye at a distance, but with the telescope, we observe their locations, their tents, and soldiers.”