Azerbaijan and Armenia traded blame at the United Nations Security Council for the recent escalation of border violence, which killed over 170 soldiers, as the U.S. House Speaker said she would be traveling to Yerevan.
The United Nations said that it was unable to verify the allegations from either side.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the U.N. Yashar Teymuroğlu Aliyev rejected Armenia's "allegations," and accused Yerevan of wanting to "torpedo the fragile post-conflict normalization process."
"Armenia is far from complying with its international obligations, and promoting peace, stability and cooperation in our region," the ambassador added.
Without observers on the ground, the U.N. said it was unable to determine the veracity of the competing allegations.
"Both countries have written to the secretary-general and to the Security Council alleging violations of the cease-fire brokered by Russia in 2020, and of their territorial integrity," U.N. Undersecretary General for Europe and Central Asia Miroslav Jenca said.
But "the United Nations is not in a position to verify or confirm the specifics of these reports," he said, adding that "this week's events are also a stark reminder that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan also have the potential to destabilize the region."
"This aggression is the answer of Azerbaijan to the mediation efforts of the international community," Armenian Ambassador to the U.N. Mher Margaryan claimed.
Baku has opted for "a military solution to the conflict," the ambassador alleged.
"We are receiving reports that the fragile cease-fire is under threat. There are credible reports that Azerbaijan is planning yet another military offensive," Margaryan added.
A cease-fire was holding as of Thursday morning after two days of clashes, which threatened to undermine a peace process between the two rival countries.
Several members of the Security Council welcomed the cease-fire between the two sides and called for dialogue.
"Military forces should now disengage to allow both parties to resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations," U.S. representative Richard Mills said.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will travel to Armenia in what is being billed as support for the Caucasus nation following the clashes.
Pelosi is slated to make the visit alongside congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is Armenian American, following a summit in Berlin, the Politico news website reported.
Pelosi's office declined to confirm or deny the travel in advance when contacted by Anadolu Agency (AA). It adopted the same position ahead of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
While in Armenia, Pelosi will meet Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Yerevan, as well as other government officials, according to Politico.
The recent fighting claimed lives on both sides with Azerbaijan reporting 71 soldiers killed and two civilians wounded. Armenia said 105 of its soldiers were killed and six civilians were wounded. A cease-fire was declared Wednesday.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decadeslong dispute over the region of Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but was occupied by Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
Moscow brokered a peace deal last November to end six weeks of fighting over the territory, during which more than 6,600 people were killed. The Russia-brokered truce allowed Azerbaijan to liberate large parts of Karabakh and surrounding areas that the Armenia had illegally occupied.
After the conflict ended, Azerbaijan launched a massive reconstruction initiative in the liberated Karabakh region.
In March, Azerbaijan sent a proposal containing five conditions to normalize relations with Armenia, the country’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said.
One of the points in the proposal includes the demarcation of the borders between the two countries, which Azerbaijan had proposed to solve, but Armenia had consistently brought preconditions to address it.
