We Expect Russian Peacekeepers to Take Measures for Immediate Withdrawal of Azerbaijani Forces to Their Initial Positions: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement regarding the incursion of Azerbaijani armed forces into the village of Parukh in Artsakh. "Today, around 16:00, the Azerbaijani armed forces violated the line of contact in Artsakh under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping mission and invaded the village of Parukh. Azerbaijan's aggressive actions once again demonstrate that official Baku continues to grossly violate the November 9, 2020, trilateral statement, which stipulated the cessation of hostilities, the parties' withdrawal to their occupied positions, and the deployment of the Russian Federation's peacekeeping forces along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh.

These actions were preceded by the complete disruption of the only gas pipeline supplying Artsakh by Azerbaijan, targeting civilian infrastructure with large-caliber weaponry, threats against the Armenian population of Artsakh, and other steps aimed at ethnic cleansing. Furthermore, with the sharp escalation of the security situation in Europe, such actions by Baku seriously endanger regional stability and peace.

We expect that the Russian peacekeepers, who are responsible for the area where the provocation is taking place, will take measures to ensure that the Azerbaijani forces immediately return to their initial positions and steadfastly uphold the commitments undertaken by the trilateral statement of November 9.

We call on the international community to provide a clear assessment of Azerbaijan's provocative actions aimed at undermining the peace process and to support efforts to establish peace in the South Caucasus and achieve a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue."