Armenia pleas for worldwide assistance

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian provided a stern caution to the worldwide neighborhood on Wednesday, as stress flare in between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Imagine Caucasus becoming another Syria?” Sarkissian informed CNBC’s Hadley Gamble from Yerevan.

“The international community has to realize that if you don’t interfere now, then Caucasus will become another huge problem,” Sarkissian warned.

Fighting broke out on Sunday in between previous Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, a disputed area that supplies transit paths for oil and gas to world oil markets.

The clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh area are the worst because the 1990s. The mountainous enclave is worldwide acknowledged as part of Azerbaijan however it has actually been under de facto Armenian control because the early 1990s. It stated self-reliance from Azerbaijan in 1991.

The battling entered its 4th day on Wednesday, with Armenia’s president stating there had actually been almost 100 deaths up until now. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan stated martial law on Sunday.

On Tuesday night, Armenia’s defense ministry stated that a Turkish F-16 shot down an Armenian warplane over Armenia, eliminating the pilot.

Turkish interactions director Fahrettin Altun stated the claim was “absolutely untrue,” according to state broadcaster TRT. Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, has actually gotten in touch with the “entire world” to stand with Azerbaijan.

The battling threats including outside gamers contending for impact in the area, not a brand-new idea for the Caucasus area, which is comprised of south-eastern Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The tactically essential stretch of land surrounding the Caspian Sea has actually been contested for centuries.

Turkey has actually used its complete assistance to Azerbaijan. Ankara has actually likewise sent out Syrian rebel fighters to join their forces versus Armenia, The Guardian reported on Monday, pointing out unnamed sources. CNBC has actually been not able to individually confirm these claims.

Armenia has actually explained this viewed hostility as unwanted. Many Armenians link Turkey’s assistance for Azerbaijan to the 1915 genocide of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

“If you look at activities of (the) current Turkish government, they have problems 360 degrees around them,” Armenia’s Sarkissian informed CNBC.

He stated Ankara dealt with difficulties in the Mediterranean, Greece, Libya and Iraq. “They are creating problems everywhere.”

A representative for Turkey’s federal government was not right away readily available when gotten in touch with by CNBC. 

Azerbaijan is the 24th biggest petroleum manufacturer on the planet and products about 5% of Europe’s oil and gas requirements, according to the IEA.

The nation has 3 petroleum export pipelines and 2 primary gas export pipelines, bring in worldwide attention to the larger South Caucasus as an essential artery for oil and gas from Azerbaijan into Turkey and onto larger Europe and beyond.

Despite fears this essential facilities might be at danger, Sarkissian stated issues about interruption had actually been overemphasized.

“They are saying there’s a threat to international energy pipelines, which is absolute nonsense,” Sarkissian stated. He explained the pipeline had actually remained in location for 20 years and “there’s absolutely no threat to energy.”

If we had “the intention of shooting the pipeline, we’d have done that 20 years ago, but not now,” Sarkissian stated.

Oil costs were blended on Wednesday, as increasing coronavirus cases magnified issue about international fuel need.

International standard Brent unrefined traded at $40.51 a barrel throughout afternoon offers, down 0.6%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate stood at $39.70 a barrel, up more than 1% for the session.