Aivazian: Azerbaijan's incursion into Armenia a challenge for CSTO

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan's incursion into the territory of Armenia is a direct threat to the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of a CSTO member state and hence a challenge for the Collective Security system, acting Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian said at a key CSTO meeting on Wednesday, May 19.

The CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers convened in Dushanbe on Wednesday.

Aivazian detailed his colleagues about the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, adding that CSTO emergency response solutions would give a chance to monitor and evaluate the situation on the ground and come up with recommendations for further steps.

Weighing in on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ayvazyan noted that the use of force by Azerbaijan can't lead to a solution to the conflict. He said the conflict should be settled politically and diplomatically, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, on the basis of the implementation of principles developed by the mediators.

On the morning of May 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the border of Armenia in the southern province of Syunik, advancing 3.5 kilometers and surrounding Sev Lake, which is situated on the border between the two countries but is predominantly a part of Armenia. On May 13, the Azerbaijani military committed more border violations against Armenia, advancing near Vardenis (Gegharkunik province) and Sisian (Syunik province).