GORIS, MAY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Armed Forces corps commander Samvel Minasyan briefed 11 ambassadors of European countries and 3 representatives of the European Union who visited Goris on the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Sev Lake area.

Minasyan stated that the Armenian-Azerbaijani border passes on the administrative borderline of the Armenian SSR, and that in 1969 a border adjustment was carried out, which was ratified with documents, signatures and stamps.

Azeri troops movement to Sev Lake was detected as of 07:00 May 12, he said. The incursion took place at nighttime. “Before May 12 the Armenian military units were located near the state border and were carrying out border protection. The Azerbaijani servicemen were carrying out combat shifts on the opposite side. In December of 2020, during border adjustments the servicemen of Armenia and Azerbaijan have installed flags from both sides, we installed from the Republic of Armenia side, and the Azerbaijani servicemen from the Azerbaijan Republic side,” he said.

The initial 250 Azeri troops who invaded the territory were from various branches of the Azeri military, the border guards and the special forces.

Commander Minasyan said that the situation is under control and that the Armenian units are located in conditions of direct contact with Azeri units. “Settlements are also located nearby, there is no panic there, people understand that the situation is in the phase of solution.”

The ambassadors asked questions to the commander, namely whether or not there are accumulation of troops from the Azeri side. Minasyan answered affirmatively, stating that Azerbaijan is amassing at the border. “Reconnaissance drones were also detected,” he said.

After the briefing the ambassadors departed to the Sev Lake area.

The envoys included the EU ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, EU representative Jan Plešinger, EU representative Silvia Zehe and the ambassadors of the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Greece.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan