The escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan caused an immediate international reaction.
The European Union called on the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia for a peaceful settlement in response to fighting that broke out again in the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces on Wednesday, August 3.
“It is very important to achieve de-escalation, to fully respect the ceasefire regime and return to the negotiating table to find agreed solutions,” said the statement of the representative of the head of the EU foreign policy department, Josep Borrell.
“The European Union remains committed to helping to de-escalate tensions and continue its involvement in ensuring lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” Borrell's representative added.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the Karabakh troops fired at the positions of his army in the Lachin district, which is under the supervision of Russian peacekeeping forces, killing an Azerbaijani conscript.
Later, the Azerbaijani army announced that it carried out an operation called “Retribution” in response and took control of several strategic heights in Karabakh.
The army of the separatist state, for its part, accused Azerbaijan of violating the regime. ceasefire and the death of two soldiers and the wounding of 14 more. Armenia called on the international community to help stop Azerbaijan's “aggressive actions”.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of seeking to make unilateral changes along the Lachin Corridor, which connects Armenia and Karabakh.
Russia accused Azerbaijan of violating the ceasefire regime and promised to stabilize the situation.
“The command of the Russian peacekeeping forces with representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia are taking measures to stabilize the situation,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
It should be noted that the escalation took place after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with the Prime Minister on Tuesday Armenia by Nikol Pashinyan.
In July, Azerbaijan began the process of returning its people to lands recaptured from Armenian separatists in what Baku calls the “Great Return.”
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Oil-rich the country has pledged to repopulate lands retaken during the six-week war with Armenia in 2020, which has claimed more than 6,500 lives. For many years, President Ilham Aliyev promised to return the lands lost in the 1990s, and the first returns became a symbolic moment for Azerbaijan.
