The Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) has reported that Armenia has intensified its provocations against the country in recent months.

The agency says “provocations of Armenia’s armed forces and remnants of the criminal regime in the Azerbaijani territories against Azerbaijan” have been observed to be “steadily intensifying”.

The agency also details that on both the conditional border and in the Karabakh economic zone the geography affected by the provocations is expanding.

According to the agency, the number of provocations since July 2023 on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conditional border and Azerbaijan’s Karabakh economic region has steadily increased, from 28 in July to 45 in August and 61 in the first half of September alone.

The agency concludes, based on the abovementioned data, that “Armenia does not accept peace proposals made by Azerbaijan and is interested in increasing tension in the region”.

The Azerbaijani armed forces reassured relevant parties that it would take “all necessary measures” to prevent Armenia’s provocations.

Azerbaijani authorities draw attention to the fact that “responsibility for the intentional tension in the region lies with the military and political leadership of Armenia."

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire.

Tensions between the two nations, however, continue despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement.