RFE/RL’s Armenia Service reports that the Armenian Foreign Minister, Vartan Oskanian, has warned that Azerbaijan is moving its troops closer to Armenian positions along the frontline.

“They have been bringing their trenches closer to ours and more casualties are suffered as a result,” Oskanian told reporters. “We just don’t see the rationale for that and are starting to think that maybe they want to torpedo negotiations, maybe they have a serious intention to start military actions.”

http://www.armenialiberty.org/homepages/en/2005/03/20050329.asp

It is difficult to say whether there is the possibility of renewed fighting over Karbagah especially when the Azerbaijani military is still considered to be weaker and not as well trained as that of the combined forces of Armenia and Karabagh. Others such as Samuel Babayan, in an interview with Aravot and quoted by RFE/RL’s Press Review, do not rule out the possibility of renewed conflict in the future.

Babayan believes that a Karabakh settlement is important for economic development in the region. “The sooner, the better for us,” he says. “I think that Azerbaijan is preparing to take steps in the military direction. They constantly try to improve their military positions and are accumulating artillery and other hardware.”

Babayan’s interview can be read online here.

Armenian television was full of coverage of Oskanian’s address to a special session held today in the National Assembly on resolution of the Karabagh Settlement, the full text of which can be found here.

Interestingly, while there does indeed to be increased pressure to find a solution to the conflict, it can’t be ruled out that Azerbaijan’s posturing is an attempt to push the international community to pressurize Yerevan into making more concessions than those offered at Key West and also, to appease public opinion in the run-up to the November Parliamentary Elections.

Even so, disturbing news because even if this is simply Azerbaijan playing with domestic and external opinion, the risk of escalating the situation is one that we can all do without.