Tension Decreases along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border
After the ceasefire agreement between the countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan did not commit any shelling along the border and the tense situation started to decrease. As of 11:21 CET, there are no significant clashes along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
On September 15, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan received Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Georgia crisis. Andrea Viktorin, the head of the EU delegation in Armenia, also participated in the meeting, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported.
On the same day, the Armenian Defense Ministry stated that Suren Papikyan had a telephone conversation with Colin Kahl, US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Affairs. "Suren Papikyan presented to Colin Kahl the situation created as a result of the large-scale aggression of Azerbaijan, stressing the need for targeted evaluations of the international community in its resolution. The Defense Minister thanked Colin Kahl for his quick response to the situation. Colin Kahl, in his turn, highlighted the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and stressed the need to return to the negotiation table and resolve all existing differences exclusively with diplomatic instruments. Colin Kahl expressed the US position that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia should not be subject to negotiation," the report added.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also reported that Colin Kahl, the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, initiated a phone call with Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During the conversation, the officials discussed issues of bilateral military cooperation, the confrontation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, and the current situation.
After several hours since the last report, the Armenian Defense Ministry stated that no change in the situation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone had been recorded as of 22.00 [local time] on September 15.
On September 15, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that a telephone conversation took place between Colonel General Karim Valiyev, the First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, and Army General Yashar Guler [Yaşar Güler], the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey. "Colonel General K. Valiyev informed his colleague about the combat confrontation that occurred as a result of a large-scale provocation committed by the Armenian armed forces on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and the decisive retaliatory measures taken by the Azerbaijan Army Units. In his turn, Army General Y. Guler expressed condolences regarding Azerbaijani servicemen, who became Shehids (Martyrs) during the suppression of the Armenian armed forces' provocation, and wished recovery to the wounded. He emphasized that today, Turkey, as always, stands by Azerbaijan," the report added.
On the evening of September 15, in accordance with the decision of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Collective Security Council, the operative group of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Joint Staff arrived in Armenia to carry out a monitoring mission led by Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov, the head of the CSTO Joint Staff, the Press Office of the Armenian Defense Ministry reported.
On September 16, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that at the initiative of the Russian side, a telephone conversation took place between General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, and Colonel General Karim Valiyev, the First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army on September 15. "The sides discussed the military-political situation in the region, the provocations committed by the Armenian armed forces, and other issues," the report stated.
On the same day, the Armenian Defense Ministry released information similar to the September 15th brief: " No change in the situation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone has been recorded as of 9 am [local time] on September 16."
Timeline by Caucasus Watch regarding recent clashes:
Tension Grows along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border
Armenia and Azerbaijan Hold Phone Conversations with World Leaders on Major Clashes along Border
Azerbaijan Releases Information on Casualties in the Border Conflict with Armenia
Tension along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Remains Despite Russian-brokered Ceasefire
Recent Developments regarding Deadly Clashes along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border