Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has proposed the establishment of a mechanism to investigate allegations of cease-fire violations with Azerbaijan.
His suggestion for a "joint mechanism" on June 15 came days after the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed Armenian soldiers had opened fire on Azerbaijani troops in Baku's Naxcivan exclave.
The Armenian military dismissed the allegation, describing it as "misinformation," and EU observers in Armenia said they had not recorded unusual activities along the border.
Addressing members of his Civil Contract party, Pashinian said allegations of cease-fire violations were either true or meant to escalate tensions between the neighbors.
SEE ALSO: Pedal Power: Armenia's Pashinian Escapes Political Turmoil On His BikeThe embattled prime minister said the launch of a joint investigation committee could help determine whether claims of cease-fire violations were true.
Azerbaijan on June 13 accused Armenian troops of targeting Azerbaijani positions in the village of Khavush in the Sharur region, the village of Nurgut in the Ordubad region, and Guney Gyshlag village in the Shahbuz region. Baku said it had responded.
The Armenian premier's popularity has taken major hits in recent years, in large part because of the loss to Azerbaijan in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the subsequent Azerbaijani military recapture of Karabakh in 2023.
Protests have gripped Yerevan since April, when authorities agreed to hand back to archrival Azerbaijan territory that Armenia had controlled since the 1990s.
Residents of nearby settlements say the move cuts them off from the rest of the country and accuse Pashinian of giving away territory without getting anything in return. Pashinian has defended the move as part of efforts to secure peace with Azerbaijan.
Led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, protesters have been calling for Pashinian’s resignation as his government nears a controversial peace deal with Azerbaijan.