The week of June 26-30 saw a ceasefire violation on the contact line, additional police forces brought to Soyudlu village and foreign ministers talk.
Shooting on the contact line: Yerevan announced that 4 soldiers were killed
It is reported that the ceasefire has been violated again on the Azerbaijan-Armenia contact line.
On June 28, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia announced the death of 4 servicemen. The Azerbaijani Army struck the positions of the Armenian armed groups in the direction of Aghdara and Khojavand.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported that the positions of Armenian armed groups in Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, were fired from small arms in the direction of the Galaychilar village of Aghdam.
Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other for the violation of the ceasefire regime.
Protest in Soyudlu: alleged police deployment brings apprehension to the village
Additional special police units have reportedly been deployed to Soyudlu village. Local residents have claimed that on June 27, four buses arrived in the village carrying these forces.
It is alleged that the police are threatening to use force to suppress any future protests. However, the MIA’s press service dismissed these reports. Elshad Hajiyev, the spokesperson for the agency, stated that there is no need for additional police presence in Soyudlu as public order has already been fully restored.
Since June 22, entry to the village has been prohibited, with journalists and activists being denied access. On June 27, Mukhtar Babayev, chairman of the governmental commission and minister of ecology, revisited Soyudlu village. He announced that the results of the analysis of soil, air, and water samples from the artificial lake, where the gold mine waste is dumped, would be available on June 28.
Anthony Blinken: “Hard work still needs to be done to reach final agreement”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the conclusion of the 3-day talks, highlighting progress made but acknowledging challenges ahead. Both sides demonstrate readiness for serious negotiations and express hopes for further progress in upcoming leader meetings mediated by the European Union.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan reported that further progress was achieved on the draft bilateral agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations in Washington, while his Armenian counterpart confirmed that the parties reached an agreement on the draft Agreement and progress on mutual understanding.
Additional articles of the agreement were agreed upon, and mutual understanding is reached on certain aspects. However, further work is required to address key issues, as acknowledged by both countries’ foreign ministries.
