Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev held discussions Tuesday with European Council President Charles Michel on the latest tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.
Michel expressed his concern over recent events on the border in the telephone call, according to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency.
Aliyev said Armenia repeatedly resorted to military provocations in the direction of Shusha, Lachin and Kalbajar with the latest large-scale attack Tuesday, the statement said.
Noting that there were injuries on the Azerbaijani side, he said the necessary response was given to Armenia’s provocation.
Aliyev said all responsibility for the current tensions rested with the Yerevan administration.
During the conversation, the pair exchanged views on the prospects of relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the Armenian armed forces once again opened fire on Azerbaijani army positions on the border.
Azerbaijani army positions in the Yellija and Barmagbina settlements of the Kalbajar region, the Galakend, Daryurd, Novoivanovka and Garaveliler settlements of the Gadabay region and the Aghbulag, Aghdam, Garalar, Gosha, Kokhanebi, Hajally, Alibeyli and Asrik Jirdakhan settlements of the Tovuz region as well as the Kohnegishlag settlement of the Aghstafa region were subjected to intensive fire, it said in a statement.
It noted that two Azerbaijani soldiers were wounded in the attacks.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
The fighting ended with a Russia-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
