Armenia has denied allegations from Azerbaijan regarding ceasefire violations along their shared border and reiterated its call for a joint mechanism to investigate such claims. This follows Egypt's welcoming of negotiations regarding a draft peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, the Armenian government addressed reports issued by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defence between March 16 and 18, alleging six ceasefire violations by Armenian armed forces. "After the above mentioned reports, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia conducted inspection works and as a result of the inspection it refuted the claims about ceasefire violations by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia," the statement said. The Armenian Ministry of Defence reminded Azerbaijan of an offer made on June 22, 2024, to create a joint Armenia-Azerbaijan mechanism for investigating ceasefire violation cases. "Azerbaijan hasn't given a positive response to this day," the statement noted. The Armenian Ministry of Defence said on March 17 that it was "ready to investigate the facts substantiating the Azerbaijani reports, in case they are conveyed to the Republic of Armenia." The Prime Minister's Office said that "as of this moment, not a single fact or substantiation about ceasefire violation by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia has been conveyed by the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Armenia." The statement added: "The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia don't have a reason or order to violate the ceasefire," adding that the government is guided by an "agenda of peace". Armenia urged Azerbaijan to launch consultations on the date and venue for signing the peace agreement, adding that the agreed-upon text of the draft agreement addresses the fundamental issues of peace and establishment of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and envisages mechanisms for discussions of future tasks. In January 2025, Armenia conveyed a proposal in written form to Azerbaijan for solving the issue of railway cargo transportation, as well as a proposal on creating a bilateral mechanism for mutual arms control and is waiting for Azerbaijan's positive response. Armenia also reiterated its readiness to continue border delimitation work with Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Egypt welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations regarding the draft peace agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Egypt believes this agreement will contribute to ending the conflict between the two nations, establishing peace in the South Caucasus region, and fostering a more stable and secure future. In a press statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Egypt acknowledges that this step represents the culmination of efforts made by both countries in recent years and expresses its hope that the peace agreement will be signed by both friendly nations at the earliest opportunity they deem feasible.
