Armenia is ready to resume the Karabakh peace process in the format indicated in the statement of the co-chairs. Nikol Pashinyan
15.07.2021
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the government sitting that Azerbaijan is trying to create the impression that Armenia is against peace, the peace treaty.
"Meanwhile, Armenia has already several times publicly welcomed the April 13 statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which, in particular, reads: "Taking into account the terms of the OSCE mandate and the aspirations of all the people of the region for a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future, the Co-Chairs stress that special attention should be paid to achieving a final comprehensive, lasting settlement based on principles well known to the parties."
In this regard, they call on the parties to resume high-level political dialogue under the auspices of the Co-Chairs at the earliest opportunity. The Co-Chairs reiterate their offer to hold direct bilateral consultations so that the parties can jointly review and agree on a structural agenda outlining their priorities without preconditions. The end of the quote, "Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan stressed that the principles well known to the parties, which are mentioned in this statement, which are the basis of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, are three: self-determination of peoples, exclusion of the use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity.
"This statement by the Co-Chairs is thus nothing more than a proposal for a roadmap for peace in the region. Armenia welcomed this statement and responded positively to its provisions. I would like to state once again that Armenia is ready to resume the Karabakh peace process in the format outlined in the Co-Chairs' statement. And I think that the Azerbaijani leadership would do well to heed the mediators' urgings instead of destructive actions and statements, and also take a clear position on the statement of the well-known co-chairs. It is clear that we will diligently pursue the realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination," said Nikol Pashinyan.
Prime Minister also referred to the mandate received by the "Civil Contract" party in the elections, noting that they received a mandate to open an era of peaceful development for Armenia and Artsakh, which implies creating a favorable environment around our country, opening regional communications, regional stability and local peace.
"After the elections, however, what we predicted happened and is happening, saying that there is a high probability that Azerbaijan will do everything to hinder peace in the region and will do so with a tactic that is also predictable, showing "Armenia or Artsakh are supposedly against peace, against demarcation processes, and against this background will create false justifications for building an aggressive policy, the manifestations of which we are also seeing in recent days," said prime minister.
Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the working group at the level of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is carrying out quite constructive and effective work on the opening of regional communications, and Azerbaijan's incomprehensible statements about the so-called Zangezur Corridor have nothing to do with the work of the working group and with the content of the trilateral statement of Moscow, which took place on the 11th January.
"Azerbaijan is making statements about the corridor in order to disrupt the activities of the trilateral working group and prevent the opening of regional communications," Pashinyan said.
According to him, Azerbaijan's goal is to continue the policy of the 30-year-old process of blockade of Armenia, but Armenia will continue working in the trilateral working group to break the blockade of Armenia and achieve the opening of regional communications with the support of Russia and international partners.