Deputy Foreign Minister on Possible Escalation

The Republic of Armenia does not currently have clear signals indicating that Azerbaijan is planning a military escalation. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mnatsakan Safaryan, during a briefing with journalists on May 9.

In response to a question about whether it can be assumed that the Azerbaijani side intends to provoke a new military flare-up, given the periodic nature of border shootings, Safaryan said it is difficult to assess that. "That is to say, any assumption can be made. At this moment, we do not have such signals," Safaryan added.

When asked by journalists whether border shootings could be considered such signals, the deputy minister urged them to address that question to the Ministry of Defense. "We saw that there were shots fired in the air," Safaryan noted, adding that Armenia's response at the diplomatic level continues to be based on the agenda of peace.

He emphasized that Armenia remains committed to the peace agenda and is moving in that direction.