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Exchange of Accusations Despite Peace Agreement Announcement... Tensions Threaten Azerbaijani-Armenian Peace Deal
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The reconciliation process between the two countries faces fundamental challenges related to mutual trust, especially with continuing border incidents and repeated accusations of violating agreements
Azerbaijan reported today, Sunday, that the Armenian armed forces opened fire toward positions in its territory from the Syunik region in southern Armenia, while Yerevan categorically denied these claims.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense stated in an official statement that Armenian elements used light weapons this morning from the Goris area, without providing additional information about the incident.
In contrast, the Armenian Ministry of Defense emphasized that Azerbaijan's statements do not match the reality on the ground.
The neighboring countries had announced last Thursday that they reached a "peace agreement" after rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the decades-long conflict between them.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the media that "the negotiation process on the text of a peace agreement with Armenia has been completed."
Following this, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that "the peace agreement is ready for signing. The Republic of Armenia is ready to start consultations with the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the date and place of signing."
In an indication of the ongoing tensions clouding relations between the two Caucasus countries, Armenia criticized in its statement Azerbaijan's issuance of a "unilateral" announcement, while Yerevan preferred that the announcement be "joint."
Baku and Yerevan fought two wars for control of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, which is predominantly populated by Armenians. The first war followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and was won by Armenia, while the second in 2020 was won by Azerbaijan, before Baku completely took control of the region through a 24-hour attack in September 2023.
Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the two countries have been involved in multiple border clashes, with Russia, European Union countries, and the United States making efforts to mediate between the parties to resolve existing disputes.
Bilateral negotiations continued throughout the past years, swinging between progress at times and escalation at others.
In January, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed significant progress, indicating that only two items of the agreement remained unresolved.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister announced that "Armenia has accepted Azerbaijan's proposals regarding the two items of the peace treaty."
Baku, which enjoys greater economic resources and broader military capabilities than its neighbor thanks to its strategic alliance with Turkey, looks to Armenia to amend its constitution with regard to the declaration of independence and its references concerning the disputed Karabakh region.
