Yerevan Slams Baku’s Military Drills During Global Pandemic
MAY 14, 2020 – INTERNATIONAL POLICY:
Armenia’s Defense Ministry on Thursday condemned Azerbaijan’s plans for large-scale military exercises during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The defense ministry warned that Azerbaijan’s attempts to amass military hardware and manpower along the borders with Armenia and Artsakh will be seen as a provocation, which will “result in relevant consequences.”
Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces is planning to hold large-scale tactical military exercises beginning from Monday to Friday of next week. In announcement about the event, the Azerbaijani army has said that “massive artillery, air, and high-precision weapons will be fired at the enemy’s operational depth,” calling the exercises “offensive” in nature.
In a statement, Armenia’s Defense Ministry has drawn the attention of the OSCE, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the international community to the fact that the large-scale military exercise in Azerbaijan, according to established tradition, takes place without a prior notice.
“This is another manifestation of the neglect and gross violation” of agreements, the defense ministry said.
“Armenia’s Defense Ministry condemns the conduct of the exercises that exacerbate the security environment in the region, under the conditions of a global imperative for joint actions against the COVID-19 pandemic and despite the call for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to establish a global ceasefire,” said the defense ministry.
“We call on Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and respect its commitments to the international community,” added the ministry.
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