YEREVAN, MARCH 29, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Pativ Unem (I Have the Honor) faction of the Armenian parliament delivered remarks at the session of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly committee on political affairs and international cooperation on the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) caused by Azerbaijan.

“As you know, Azerbaijan is making territorial claims against CSTO founding-member Armenia, and threatens to unleash a new war in case of non-compliance,” Abrahamyan said, adding that the threats are accompanied by provocations against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

He warned that accepting Azerbaijan’s terms would mean Azeri control over major territories and many settlements of CSTO-member Armenia.

“Regrettably, an Armenian soldier was killed during one such provocation this week. In another case, the Azeri military opened fire on a vehicle of Russian troops, resulting in two [Russian troops] being hospitalized,” Abrahamyan said.

“The situation in Nagorno Karabakh is a lot worse,” he added, noting the Azeri shootings at peaceful civilians and the murder of the three police officers in the Azeri ambush.

Abrahamyan also mentioned the yet another gross violation of the 9 November 2020 statement, when the Azerbaijani military breached the line of contact and advanced into the territory in Nagorno Karabakh to block an inter-community road.

According to Abrahamyan, the dynamics of the latest developments shows that Azerbaijan is preparing for a new aggression in the region, which means that the CSTO could also be drawn into war.

“I’d like to recall the joint statement of the CSTO leaders of 14 October 2016 which stipulates the principle of the non-use of force or the threat of force in the context of the Artsakh issue. I think it is our objective to prevent the course of such events and force Azerbaijan to abandon its intentions with concrete actions,” he said.