Tensions Flare on Armenian-Azerbaijani Border as Shelling and Proposals Emerge

Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have escalated in recent days, with reports of shelling along the border and proposals for a peace treaty. On July 20, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that Armenian forces had shelled positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the Istisu settlement in the Kalbajar district. According to the ministry, the shelling came from large-caliber weapons fired from positions in the Basarkechyar region. The Azerbaijani army responded with "appropriate countermeasures" in the same direction.

This latest incident comes as both countries have been engaged in talks to sign a peace treaty to end the conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has proposed signing a document on the basic principles of a future peace treaty as an interim measure, which could be signed before the country hosts the COP29 climate summit in November. The document would outline the basic principles of bilateral ties and ensure neighborly relations between the two countries.

However, Armenia has been hesitant to agree to the proposal, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stating that his country would not accept Azerbaijani demands to change its constitution to remove an indirect reference to Karabakh independence. The Armenian constitution currently implies that Nagorno-Karabakh is an independent state, a stance that Azerbaijan has long rejected.

Despite the challenges, both countries have made concessions in recent months. Armenia has agreed to hand over four contested border villages to Azerbaijan, and demarcation of borders has been ongoing. However, protests have broken out in Armenia, with demonstrators denouncing the government's policies, including the handing back of ruined villages to Azerbaijan, and demanding Pashinyan's resignation.

As the situation remains tense, the international community is watching closely, hoping that the two countries can find a peaceful resolution to their decades-long conflict.