Day: February 24, 2024

Armenia’s foreign ministry on Saturday neither confirmed nor denied reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will visit Armenia next month.

“I can say that we officially inform about high-level visits in proper timeframes,” foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan told Armenpress on Saturday.

Recent reports in Armenian media indicated that Zelensky is planning to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan next month, with the Armenia trip reportedly being planned for March 4.

A visit by Zelensky to Armenia undoubtedly will anger Russia, whose relations with Yerevan have been strained, especially since Armenian government officials have made overtures to Ukraine, even sending humanitarian assistance last year. That aid was accompanied to Ukraine by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Pashinyan said Armenia is not an ally of Russia when it came to the Ukraine war. He repeated the same comment this week in an interview with France 24.

Pashinyan spoke to Zelensky last fall on the margins of a European Union summit in Granada, Spain.

South Caucasus News

Azerbaijani Forces Open Fire at Armenian Military Positions in Gegharkunik

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 24, 2024

Azerbaijani forces on Saturday opened fire at Armenian military position in the Gegharkunik Province, the defense ministry reported.

At around 12:30 p.m. local time on Saturday Azerbaijani forces fired on Armenian position near the Verin Shorzha, the defense ministry said, releasing the geographic coordinates of the attack.

Armenia’s defense ministry also refuted a statement by Azerbaijan, issued at 12:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, alleging that Armenian forces opened fire at Azerbaijani positions.

In an attack on February 13, Azerbaijani forces targeted Armenian positions in the Verin Hand region of the Syunik Province, killing four soldiers and injuring another.

No report of casualties or injuries was provided.

That attack, according to Armenia’s former human rights defender Arman Tatoyan, came from Azerbaijani positions located inside the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Given that Azerbaijani forces advanced within the Gegharkunik Province in September 2022, Saturday’s attack could have emanated from Azerbaijani positions within Armenia, which have been fortified given Azerbaijan’s refusal to withdraw its troops from Armenia.