Armenia asks Russia for assistance after skirmishes with Azerbaijan
Armenian public television reports that the Armenian government has appealed to Russia, the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and, the UN Security Council after skirmishes on the border with Azerbaijan took place on the night of September 13.
The Armenian government appealed to Russia to invoke the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between the two countries, Novosti-Armenia reports. The decision was made after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a session of the country's Security Council.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said that, as of 8 a.m. local time (7 a.m. Moscow time), the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border remained extremely tense, with positional battles ongoing.
The ministry claimed that Azerbaijan was using artillery, mortars, drones and large-caliber small arms - and was striking military and civilian infrastructure near the settlements of Vardenis, Sotk, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, Goris and Kapan. According to a statement by the Prime Minister, there were 49 victims as of this morning, though he noted that this didn't reflect the final count.
The settlements identified as points of acute tension on the border.
On the night of September 13, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that Armenia committed a "large-scale provocation" and the Azerbaijani army was "neutralizing firing points." Baku described as "absurd" the claims that Azerbaijan had invaded Armenia.
Azerbaijani media claimed, citing unnamed sources, that Azerbaijan and Armenia had agreed to a cease-fire from 8:00 a.m. Moscow time.
As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan gained control of about half of the region and Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the remainder. Armenia was obliged to withdraw its troops from Karabakh.
Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance
The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance was signed between Armenia and the Russian Federation on August 29, 1997. According to the treaty, an attack on Armenia should be considered an attack on Russia, and vice versa.
Collective Security Treaty Organization
The CSTO is made up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, and Tajikistan. Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty stipulates that an attack against one signatory should be perceived as an attack against all.