MOSCOW/YEREVAN (azatutyun.am) – The Armenian and Russian defense ministers have reportedly discussed a possible deployment of more Russian troops along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan.
Vagharshak Harutyunyan and Sergei Shoigu again spoke by phone on Wednesday, June 16, amid a continuing Armenian-Azerbaijani military standoff at disputed portions of the border.
The standoff began after Azerbaijani troops advanced several kilometers into Armenia’s Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces on May 12-14, triggering an Armenian military buildup there.
In a statement on the phone call, the Armenian Defense Ministry said the two ministers looked at “ways of resolving the existing situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.”
“Vagharshak Harutyunyan and Sergei Shoigu also discussed the deployment alongside the Armenian Armed Forces of Russian border guards at border sections of Syunik and Gegharkunik,” added the statement. It gave no other details.
The Russian Defense Ministry issued no statements on Shoigu’s latest phone call with his Armenian counterpart.
