Armenia’s acting PM offers deploying Russian or OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries’ observers along Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has offered to deploy observers from Russia or OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries in the Sotk-Khoznavar border area between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The offer was voiced at the session of the Security Council.

He said it is his official offer to the international community and Azerbaijan.

“The offer is the following – we agree in very short period of time withdraw the sub-divisions of the armed forces of the two countries from the border area,” he said, adding that instead Russian or other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries' observers be deployed there.

“I want to stress that I am talking about Sotk-Khozhnavar section where the escalation occurred,” he said, adding that it will follow the works of clarifying border locations from Sotk to Khoznavar.

Pashinyan added that if Azerbaijan really has border adjustment issue it has no reason to refute the proposal.

Armenia’s acting PM said if the issue is not settled this way, the situation will go out of control.

"Which we cannot allow," he added.

Pashinyan also stressed that the situation is very tense and the dynamics of escalation grows creating the risk of large-scale clashes.