YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. Karen Donfried, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, held telephone conversations with Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs said on Twitter.
“The US is deeply concerned about gas disruptions and Azerbaijan’s troop movements. Armenia and Azerbaijan need to use direct communications channels to immediately de-escalate”, the statement says.
On March 24, the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces, in gross violation of the requirements of the 2020 November 10 trilateral statement, infiltrated into the responsibility zone of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the Republic of Artsakh, by taking under their control the village of Parukh in Askeran region and the adjacent positions, then attempted to ensure advancement in the eastern border of the Republic of Artsakh.
The authorities of Artsakh said that the main pipeline supplying gas from Armenia to Artsakh was damaged on March 7 and the supply stopped. The Artsakh authorities had said the area where the damage occurred was in Azerbaijani-controlled territory. It was reported that the Azerbaijani military deliberately damaged the pipeline. The Azerbaijani authorities obstructed repair works for days. Only on March 16 the authorities in Artsakh announced that the Azerbaijani side itself began the repair work. However, days later, the gas supply was cut again. Authorities said they have reasons to believe that during the repairs the Azeri authorities installed a valve on the pipeline in order to shut it down whenever they want.
