None of the parties to the Karabakh conflict is interested in its spinning out of control, Oxford university professor and expert on South Caucasus Neil MacFarlane told Armenian News – NEWS.am, commenting on the recent clashes on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

He said it’s not the first year the tension has been growing by the end of summer. “This is “normal” given the meaning Armenia and Azerbaijan give to the conflict for legitimizing the authority,” he said.  

Each country has its own reasons to worry, he said. In the conditions of oil price fluctuations, Baku experiences difficulties in supporting budget incomes and fulfilling the public agreement. “Meanwhile, the Armenian government has faced summer unrest over economic issues”, he said.

For this reason, according to MacFarlane, certain escalation offers advantages for both countries.

“So, a little escalation has advantages for both, but, so far as I understand, neither side has any interest in things getting out of hand. On the other hand, it is sometimes difficult to manage escalation”, he stressed.

According to the statements of the Armenian and Karabakh Defense Ministries, the Azerbaijani side has increased violations of the ceasefire for the last 2 weeks. Consequently, both sides incurred losses.