Expert blog: Baku admits to stirring up tension

The head of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s press service Colonel Eldar Sabiroglu declared that tension on the Line of Contact remains, adding that the Armenian side allegedly continues violating the ceasefire.

In parallel with that, Azerbaijani Foreign ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev also commented on the border situation, saying that the ‘occupational policy of Armenia’ is the main cause of the aggravation of the situation on the frontline.

It turns out that by his comments Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s spokesman not only does not refute the official statements of Defense Ministry of that country, but also makes threats – the tense situation on the Line of Contact will continue as long as there is a status quo.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry almost overtly declares publicly that regional security and peace do not stem from Baku’s interests and that an aggressive policy will be carried out until the Karabakh conflict is solved in the way favorable to Azerbaijan.

Besides, Azerbaijan rejects and considers as unacceptable the international community’s approach, according to which there is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan declares that in parallel with the negotiating process, it will continue firing at frontline positions and settlements of the Armenian side.

Taking into account the inadequate reaction of the international community to the incidents on the Line of Contact and the arms race that Azerbaijan has unleashed in the region, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh should improve their mechanisms of control over the situation.

The improvement of these mechanisms envisages minimizing the possible losses and working out such a plan of countering Azerbaijani provocations that will enable to deal an efficient and well-targeted blow to those Azerbaijani facilities and infrastructure whose destruction will have ‘painful’ consequences for Baku.

This will force official Baku to consider, prior to each attack and subversive act, how justified its provocations are, given the purposefulness of the Armenian side’s strikes.