Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of planning an “all-out war” against him on Thursday, two days after a border clash left four Armenian soldiers dead.
“Our analysis indicates that Azerbaijan wants to launch military action in some parts of the border with the intention of turning the military escalation into an all-out war against Armenia,” Pashinyan said before the cabinet.
Tensions between the two Caucasus neighbors have risen since Azerbaijan retook the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in a lightning military offensive in September.
Armenia fears that its neighbor, emboldened by that military victory, will invade its territory to create a land bridge to the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan.
But Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, re-elected this month, said in his inauguration speech on Wednesday that it is Armenia that has territorial claims.
“We have no territorial claims in Armenia. They must give up their claims. Talking to us in the language of corruption will cost them dearly,” Aliyev said.
Pashinyan and Aliyev had previously said a peace deal could be signed late last year, but internationally mediated peace negotiations failed to make progress.
On Tuesday, the two sides accused each other of opening fire on their volatile border, in a clash that Armenia said killed four of its soldiers.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.