RA MFA Comments on Turkish-Azerbaijani Military Exercises

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has responded to a request from Sputnik Armenia regarding the ongoing Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises near the Lachin corridor, characterizing them as actions detrimental to de-escalation.

"We assess the conduct of Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises near the borders of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as close to the Lachin corridor, as actions harmful to steps aimed at de-escalation. This does not align with the spirit of the trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020, and disrupts efforts to establish sustainable peace, security, and stability in the region," they stated.

As previously reported, the armed forces of Turkey and Azerbaijan are conducting exercises in the Kashatagh (Lachin) region, which came under Azerbaijani control following the 44-day war in Artsakh. These are the first joint exercises in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone between Baku and Ankara.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced that tactical drills involving live fire are being conducted in accordance with the military cooperation agreement. Meanwhile, official Stepanakert perceives these exercises as a threat.

It should be noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan have conducted several joint exercises since the war.