07/07/2014 20:17
Azerbaijan prepares for new provocations
The issue of holding a summit of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents is at the center of attention of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states. To judge from recent active calls for such a summit, it is obvious that the mediators are concerned, first of all - by almost incessant violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Contact.
Not only Armenian servicemen and frontline positions, but also settlements and civilians working in fields are the target of Azerbaijani gunfire.
In all likelihood the mediators hope to sharply reduce tension on the border by organizing a meeting of the presidents of Armeniaand Azerbaijan.
While the Co-chair states – through various officials - call upon the sides to establish peace, Azerbaijan is preparing a basis for intensification of its actions on the front line.
It is easy to arrive at this conclusion, in particular from Azerbaijani defense minister Zakir Hasanov’s statement about a ‘ten times as great response to shots from the Armenian side and the capture of army positions”.
As a rule, such actions on the Line of Contact are initiated by the Azerbaijani side and from this point of view the Azerbaijani minister’s statement may seem strange, but taking into account the Azerbaijani side’s preparations on the front line, one can assume that provocations on the Line of Contact are intensifying, while the Azerbaijani propaganda machine is trying to present these actions as ‘self-defense’ or ‘retaliatory actions’.
The calls and reminders of the mediator sates about a peaceful resolution to the conflict are important, but no less important are actions stemming from these statements – while the international community uses standard wordings in its statements, Azerbaijani military equipment is massing on the front line.
by Tigran Abrahamyan
Aysor.am