Azerbaijan tries to bring the process to deadlock – PM Pashinyan
In Brussels, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were tasked to start preparations for the future peace treaty and initiate talks and contacts on this direction. After this statement was announced, we were criticized that we in fact abandoned the idea of holding negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the Q&A session in the Parliament today.
Azerbaijan tries to bring the process to deadlock – PM Pashinyan
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 13, ARTSAKHPRESS: “The reality is a little different. We have not given up on that idea, but you also know that due to the events in Ukraine the relations within the Co-Chairmanship are extremely tense. Moreover, this tension started back in 2011, from the events in Syria, which inevitably affected our regional developments. And now, taking into account this tension, we cannot passively wait for the actions of the Co-Chairmanship, on the other hand the launch of bilateral talks in no way prohibits the involvement of the Co-Chairmanship in the process”, the PM said.
He stated that the preparation for the process must start without delay and expressed hope that the foreign ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to implement the tasks within a proper timeframe. He said it’s important to record that the whole international community is showing readiness to support the process, and this opportunity should be really used.
“Although the direct involvement of international partners in some matters of the peace agenda is quite noticeable. You know that there is an Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral working group led by deputy prime ministers dealing with the opening of regional communications. This doesn’t hinder us to discuss this issue also with our partners of EU, US, France, Iran and Georgia. And also during my last telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, we agreed to activate the works of the trilateral working group”, Nikol Pashinyan said.
The PM, however, said that here as well Azerbaijan is trying to bring the process to a deadlock, attempting to turn our interest in the opening of roads into a corridor talk.
“But as I have repeatedly stated this approach is absolutely unacceptable for us. It’s worth noting that Azerbaijan is trying to carry out the agenda of the opening of regional communications in such a way that as a result the blockade of Armenia will not be overcome, but quite the contrary, will further deepen. Or will become a new substantiation for aggressive policy against Armenia. This is the reason that we need to show maximal flexibility on this matter, at the same time clearly defending our principled positions and Armenia’s territorial integrity”, the PM said.
