YEREVAN. – It becomes even more apparent in recent years that Azerbaijan always seeks to exacerbate the situation on its border with Armenia and the Line of Contact with the armed forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Armenian Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan said at Tuesday’s news conference.

In his words, the adversary’s encroachments are unacceptable for the Armenian side.

“If the adversary does not understand the political messages, all of its attacks shall receive an adequate response,” Ohanyan stated.

As per the minister, the studies have shown that Azerbaijan’s provocations have several objectives: First and foremost, to divert the attention from the country’s internal problems linked to human rights and national minorities; and second, to reach a mutual concession in the Karabakh negotiation process.

“We are doing everything so that the [adversary’s ceasefire] violations do not turn into full-scale war,” he noted.

Seyran Ohanyan added, however, that if Azerbaijan hopes that the Armenian side will not cross the “red line,” it is sadly mistaken. According to the Armenian minister, the Azerbaijani territories near the border can become an arena for military operations, if necessary.