Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan on Thursday of seeking “total war” with Armenia, two days after new border clashes between the two Caucasian countries.
“Our analyzes show that Azerbaijan wants to launch military operations in some areas along the border with the prospect of a military escalation that would turn into a total war against Armenia,” Pashinyan said at a cabinet meeting.
On Tuesday, Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of firing on the border between the two countries, near Nerkin Hand in southeastern Armenia. Four Armenian soldiers were killed in the incident, according to Yerevan.
“Azerbaijan is implementing a policy of ‘give me everything I want through negotiations or I will take everything through the military,'” Pashinyan said, accusing Baku of not wanting security and stability in the region.
Yerevan suspects that Azerbaijan has new territorial claims since it conquered Nagorno-Karabakh, over which two major wars were fought, in September of last year, after three decades.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated on Wednesday that his country has no plans for expansion.
“We have no territorial claims against Armenia. And they must give up their claims. Blackmail will cost them dearly,” he said.
“There will be no peace agreement until Armenia renounces its claims against Azerbaijan,” he added.
Yerevan claims that Azerbaijan wants control over the Armenian region of Syunik in order to connect the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan with the rest of Azerbaijan.
