Artsakh Rejects Azerbaijani Claims of a Ceasefire Violation

The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement rejecting Azerbaijani claims that the Artsakh Defense Army violated the ceasefire between the two states, saying that Azerbaijan is trying to escalate already high tensions between itself and Artsakh. Azerbaijan claims that the Defense Army recently killed an Azerbaijani soldier near the ceasefire zone between Azerbaijan and Artsakh. More here.

Azerbaijan's claims come as relations between Turkey and Armenia move towards normalizing and as Russia renews a push for a long-term peace agreement between Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan. Should Turkey and Armenia establish normal diplomatic relations the economic situation of both Armenia and Artsakh, an ethnically Armenian republic on the territory of the former Azerbaijani autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, would improve significantly.