A rally demanding withdrawal from the CSTO is taking place in the center of Yerevan. According to Interfax, it is being held at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, where Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is currently staying. It is estimated that several hundred people are participating in the action. The protesters say that in case of withdrawal from the CSTO, Armenia can receive military assistance from the West.
The Alliance of Democratic Forces of Armenia, which includes a number of parties and public organizations, issued a statement demanding that the authorities of the republic withdraw from the CSTO, establish allied relations with Western countries, invite and deploy UN peacekeeping forces on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and ban the broadcasting of Russian TV channels in Armenia.
Pelosi flew to Armenia amid the aggravation of the situation with Azerbaijan. Today she stated that the US will support the security and democracy of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry commented on Pelosi's statement and noted that the "groundless and unfair accusations" she made against Azerbaijan are unacceptable.
“What Nancy Pelosi said during her visit to Armenia should be regarded as a statement made on the basis of Armenian propaganda. This is a serious blow to efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the Azerbaijani ministry said in a statement.
On the morning of September 14, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced the resumption of shelling on the border with Azerbaijan: “From 8:00 am, the Azerbaijani military, using artillery, mortars and large-caliber small arms, resumed hostilities, in particular, in the direction of Jermuk and the village of Verin Shorzha.”
The report said that "all responsibility for the situation and its further development lies with the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan."
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan also reported that as a result of night battles from September 12 to 13, 50 people were killed – 42 servicemen of the Azerbaijani army and 8 border guards. Armenian President Pashinyan announced the death of 49 Armenian soldiers.
On the night of September 13, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced shelling from Azerbaijan on Armenian positions using artillery, mortars and UAVs. Pashinyan decided to seek help from Russia, the UN Security Council and the CSTO. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denies information about its invasion, calls the statements of the Armenian Defense Ministry absurd, and also accuses Armenia of provocations and planting mines on the supply roads of Azerbaijani units.
The escalation of the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh took place on September 27, 2020. On the night of November 10, Pashinyan, together with the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, adopted a tripartite statement on a ceasefire, the entry of peacekeepers into Nagorno-Karabakh and the transfer of a number of regions in the region to Azerbaijan. In Armenia, because of this decision, protests and demonstrations for the resignation of Pashinyan began.
