Month: June 2022

ArmInfo. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and the delegation headed by him, the press  service of the RA PM reports.  According to the source, in his  welcoming remarks, Prime Minister Pashinyan, in particular, said,  "Dear Sergey Viktorovich, Welcome to the Republic of Armenia. I am  very glad to see you.

Russia and Armenia are strategic partners and allies and, of course,  this assumes that the intensity of bilateral visits and contacts  should be quite high, and we witness it. The agenda of our relations  is very wide and multifaceted. These are related to both bilateral  issues, and regional and international issues. I am glad that today  we will have the opportunity to discuss a wide scope of issues  related to our relations.

At the moment, the main issue on our agenda is related to the  regional situation, security, and the settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Of course, we are discussing this issue  with Russia quite intensively, and other issues as well. For example,  the opening of regional communications. The meeting of the trilateral  working group headed by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Russian  Federation, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan  took place recently in Moscow. I hope that in the near future we will  be able to reach concrete agreements to resolve this issue of  strategic importance for the benefit of the whole region, for the  sake of stability and peace.

The agenda of normalization of relations between Armenia and  Azerbaijan is also very important. You know that the first meeting of  the bilateral working commission on demarcation and delimitation of  the border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of  Azerbaijan took place recently. The second meeting is already planned  to be held in Moscow, the third meeting will take place in Brussels.  In this context, we expect the support of the Russian Federation for  this process to take place and proceed in a normal way and to be  effective.

I would also like to mention the issue of the return of prisoners of  war, hostages and other detainees who are still in Azerbaijan,  contrary to the November 9, 2020 trilateral declaration. We expect  the support of the Russian Federation in this matter as well, so that  this humanitarian issue can finally be fully resolved.  Welcome once  again, I am sure we will have fruitful negotiations today".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, "Dear Nikol Vovaevich,  Thank you very much for the opportunity to meet with you during our  full-up visit to the Republic of Armenia. Vladimir Vladimirovich  Putin conveys to you his warmest greetings and best wishes and  reaffirms the commitment to all the agreements reached during your  contacts, especially during your official visit to the Russian  Federation in April this year. You also met in Moscow within the  framework of the informal CSTO summit, you had many telephone  conversations.

We are committed to all the decisions aimed at deepening our  strategic partnership, allied cooperation, and the strengthening of  our bilateral relations in general. Today we discussed in detail with  Ararat Samvelovich the tasks you have set for us at the highest  level, I know that this work is one of the priorities within the  Intergovernmental Economic Commission.

But, undoubtedly, dear Nikol Vovaevich, as you mentioned, regional  issues deserve special attention now.  Implementation of the  trilateral statements of November 2020, January and November 2021 is  our priority.  We interested that all the directions and actions set  out there, aimed at the complete normalization of the situation in  the region, the settlement of all issues, including humanitarian  ones, to be resolved as soon as possible. As you mentioned, the  trilateral working group on unblocking transport and economic  communications at the level of Deputy Prime Ministers is in the  advanced stage of agreeing on specific aspects of the final  agreements. We have discussed what additional steps need to be taken,  and we will report to you.

The same goes for delimitation. We welcome the start of the work of  the two commissions from your and Azerbaijani sides. The first  session, meeting took place, we consider it very important. We will  start preparing for the meeting in Moscow with the participation of  Russian representatives, who, in accordance with the agreements of  the leaders, will provide consulting services, including cartographic  materials.  In general, we are interested in the full normalization  of relations between our neighbors, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Of  course, we are familiar with the proposals presented by Azerbaijan in  that context, we are also familiar with your positions, which you  have presented in written, Russia is ready to do everything possible  to reach a mutual agreement. And, as I said, we are committed to the  full implementation of all agreements without exception. It is  especially important for us to have the opportunity to hear your  assessments today. Once again, thank you for this meeting."

Nikol Pashinyan and Sergey Lavrov discussed issues related to the  Armenian-Russian strategic partnership, the regional stability and  peace agenda, the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and  the process of normalization of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

In the context of the comprehensive settlement of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Prime Minister of Armenia stressed the  important role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.  The interlocutors  also exchanged views on the development of scientific, educational  and cultural ties.  Sergey Lavrov praised the attitude and  hospitality of the Armenian side towards the Russian citizens who  have recently moved to Armenia. 

ArmInfo. Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov is convinced that there is no other way than the complete normalization of relations between Armenia and  Azerbaijan. He said this, on June 9 in Yerevan, at a press conference  with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan referring to the  prospects for signing a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku.

In this regard, he noted that what is mentioned in the conventional  term "peace treaty" is based on the proposals that were presented at  one time by Azerbaijan. " Armenia submitted its vision in response,  and taking into account these two documents, a process is underway in  which we are ready to participate as a mediator, consultant, and, in  principle, a facilitator," the Russian minister said.

At the same time, Lavrov recalled that the leaders of Armenia,  Azerbaijan and Russia met three times to resolve practical issues  related to the end of the conflict, the normalization of relations  between the countries of the region, including, of course, relations  between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"We have a common understanding that the process is moving forward,  we might like to see the pace faster, but nevertheless, the process  is ongoing and there are intermediate positive results. But, there is  no doubt that there will be final agreements. We are doing our best  to do this contribute," the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry  said.

"Of course, the parties have their own specific vision, which does  not always coincide, regarding how to work at the forthcoming stage.  But all our partners and we ourselves have the same understanding  that the three statements that were adopted at the highest level are  a very clear roadmap that we should all be guided by. And as the  process of delimitation, we are very happy about the founding meeting  of the commission. The next meeting, as you heard, is planned in  Moscow. We are ready to provide consultative assistance, including  the provision of cartographic materials, in accordance with the  agreements of the leaders of the three countries. This is very  important for this particular work," he added. 

At the same time, he stated that in parallel with this process, a  trilateral working group headed by the vice- premiers of Armenia,  Azerbaijan and Russia has moved forward to unblock transport and  economic ties.

"Today we discussed options for resolving existing issues. I am sure  that they will eventually be resolved," Lavrov summed up.

In turn, the Armenian Foreign Minister, referring to the process of  normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, agreed with his  Russian counterpart that the process is moving forward in several  directions at once.

"Of course, opinions differ on many issues, but this is what  negotiations are for, to try to find common approaches on those  points that do not coincide, through mutual concessions. We believe  in the peace process. We think that in the process of normalization  of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is impossible to give  a political solution without referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict. And we believe that negotiations should take place within  the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group," Mirzoyan said, recalling that  this is the only internationally recognized format for the settlement  of the Karabakh conflict.

At the same time, Mirzoyan believes that at this stage it is a bit  exaggerated to call the ongoing processes on delimitation and border  security negotiations. However, according to him, the beginning of  this process has been laid.

He also added that Armenia sees some positive developments in the  issue of deblocking transport communications and economic ties. "It  would be wrong to say that there is a complete picture, but still,  there are positive developments. And here I must say that the  detention of Armenian prisoners of war by Baku, as well as  encroachments on Armenian cultural monuments, and in general, the  anti-Armenian rhetoric of Azerbaijan and provocations only interfere  these processes. I would like to take this opportunity to once again  draw the attention of our international partners and Baku to these  issues," Mirzoyan concluded.

It should be reminded that earlier Azerbaijan put forward 5 points on  the normalization of relations with Armenia. In particular: "Mutual  recognition by states of sovereignty, territorial integrity,  inviolability of state borders and political independence of each  other; mutual confirmation by states of the absence of territorial  claims against each other and their acceptance of a legal obligation  not to make such claims in the future; refrain from threatening each  other's security in international relations, the use of threats and  force against political independence and territorial integrity, as  well as other circumstances that do not comply with the purposes of  the UN Charter; delimitation and demarcation of the state border, the  establishment of diplomatic relations; the opening of transport links  and communications, the establishment of other relevant  communications and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.  

ArmInfo. There is definitely no political crisis in Armenia.  Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced this on November 9 in Yerevan at a press  conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at a request  to comment on the protests in the country.

According to him, to confirm his words, he can cite two arguments -  the snap parliamentary elections held last summer in the summer,  which resolved the then political crisis, answered many questions and  was recognized by all international organizations as transparent and  democratic. "And secondly, we follow the actions, and the small  number of participants in the rallies does not speak of popular  support," he said. At the same time, Mirzoyan noted that in a  democratic country, which is Armenia, everyone has the right to  peaceful rallies. "If we move away from the issue of law and touch on  the logical side of this issue, then I can express my private  opinion. Here I see issues related to sanity," the Armenian Foreign  Minister said, emphasizing that the parliamentary opposition can  exercise its right to criticize authorities from the parliamentary  platform, which, unfortunately or fortunately, it does not do.

"The rally organizers say that the Republic of Armenia is pursuing  the wrong policy on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the normalization  of Armenian-Turkish relations and the agenda of the Azerbaijani-  Armenian negotiations," he said. Mirzoyan added that he could  understand the opposition if they talked about the need to cancel the  statement of November 9, 2020, withdrawing from the delimitation  process and unblock communications, or the statements of January 11  and November 26, 2021, the delimitation process. But since the  opposition does not do this, according to him, all this suggests that  the topics discussed by the opposition are just ugly speculations. 

It should be noted that since May 1, the Resistance Movement has been  holding actions of disobedience throughout the republic demanding the  resignation of current Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia  Nikol Pashinyan and his team. The Movement is convinced that the  current government in Armenia is pursuing a policy that is disastrous  for the Armenian state and Artsakh, and cannot represent the  interests of the country in the international arena.

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ArmInfo.The Foreign Ministers of Russia and Armenia, Sergei Lavrov and Ararat Mirzoyan assured there can be no question of any corridor logic of unblocking regional  communications voiced by Azerbaijan.

So, on June 9, at a press conference in Yerevan, answering a question  about the slow work of the commission to unblock communications,  Lavrov did not agree with such an assessment, saying that the work  was proceeding quite rhythmically.

"First of all, I see positive trends here, based on the results of  the meetings at the level of three vice- premiers on June 3. I do not  think the break is too long, they are working rhythmically. We have  reached the preparations for the issues to be resolved," said the  head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In this vein, Lavrov noted that the issue of  railway route has  already been agreed upon, and now the agreement on the road links and  the regime that will be established is being completed. "It will be  simplified, but it will absolutely be based on the recognition of the  sovereignty of the Armenian territory.  There can be no ambiguity  here. These are things related to practical actions on the ground,  which are associated with the creation of infrastructure for many  years, as they say. Therefore, we should carefully consider all this.  And we have a complete feeling that both Azerbaijani and Armenian  partners proceed from this," the Russian Foreign Minister said. In  turn, the Armenian Foreign Minister also expressed his conviction  that the work was not delayed, and discussions continue at a working  pace. He once again stressed that there is a common understanding on  many issues.

According to him, this primarily concerns the fact that all the roads  that open will operate within the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the  countries through which they pass. "Naturally, there can be no  question any corridor logic, which I want to emphasize. This is a  common understanding," Mirzoyan said.

At the same time, he acknowledged the presence of details on which  the parties have equal approaches, but work continues and the  minister hopes that a mutually acceptable solution will be found. 

It should be noted that on January 11, talks between the leaders of  Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol  Pashinyan were held in Moscow. After the talks, the Russian leader  announced the formation of a working group, which will be headed by  the vice-premiers of the three countries. The group deals with issues  of unblocking economic, trade and transport links in the region,  opening borders.

On June 3, the 10th meeting of the trilateral working group was held  under the joint chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia  – Mher Grigoryan, Russia – Alexei Overchuk and Azerbaijan – Shahin  Mustafayev.

"Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan have brought their positions closer  on border and other types of control, as well as on the safe passage  of citizens, vehicles and goods on roads and railways through the  territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The vice-premiers discussed  possible routes for the passage of the highway, which provides  transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and  Nakhichevan through the territory of Armenia. The parties will  continue to work on the implementation of the agreements between the  leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the unblocking of  transport links in the region," it was said following the meeting. 

ArmInfo. The Russian Federation played a key role in stopping the aggression unleashed against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this on June 9 in Yerevan at a joint press conference with  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, noting that, undoubtedly,  issues related to a possible document on the normalization of  relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well asthe process of  settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict the settlement process  were at the center of today's discussions. 

"The deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh as  a factor in preventing provocations and ensuring the security of the  people of Artsakh aims to create conditions for the restoration of  normal life, stability and security in our region. Armenia still  continues to believe that the Russian peacekeeping mission is capable  of restoring the status quo established by statement of November 9,  2020 and the situation of March 23, violated by the Azerbaijani armed  forces on March 24 by the invasion of the village of Parukh in  Nagorno-Karabakh.

"We appreciate the efforts of Russia aimed at the implementation of  the trilateral agreements of November 9, 2020, among which the issue  of the return of Armenian prisoners of war is extremely relevant.  Thanks to these efforts, it became possible to repatriate some of the  Armenian prisoners to their homeland. At the same time, almost a year  and a half after the end of hostilities, Azerbaijan, violating  international humanitarian law, disrupts the implementation of the  provisions of the Declaration and refuses to return the detained  Armenian prisoners of war and civilians," Mirzoyan stated, expressing  the hope that the Russian side would make more efforts in this  matter.

At the same time, the Armenian minister pointed out the relevance of  the issue of preserving the numerous cultural and religious monuments  of Artsakh, which have come under the control of the Azerbaijani  Armed Forces.

"I emphasized that against the backdrop of ongoing vandalism and  desecration by Azerbaijan, this issue requires immediate  international intervention.  "It is necessary to mention the  anti-Armenian expansionist rhetoric of the Azerbaijani leadership, as  well as the ongoing provocations and systematic violations of the  ceasefire," the Armenian Foreign Minister said.

At the same time, he confirmed the readiness of the Government of the  Republic of Armenia to make efforts to achieve stability and peace in  the region. "In this context, the key is the resolution of the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which will include the key points of  ensuring the security of the people of Artsakh, ensuring all rights  and a final decision on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The  principles for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were developed  by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Let me remind you that in  their last joint statement, the leaders of our countries reaffirmed  the importance of using the potential and experience of the OSCE  Minsk Group Co-Chairs in accordance with its international mandate,"  Mirzoyan said.  At the same time, he noted that naturally, during  today's meeting, issues of unblocking regional communications,  delimitation and border security were discussed. According to the  Armenian minister, in the context of the issue of unblocking economic  and transport ties, it was emphasized that the opening of regional  communications may create new opportunities, including diversifying  the logistical connection between Armenia and Russia. "The tripartite  statement dated January 11, 2021 defines a clear framework for this  process, and we hope that the working group at the level of deputy  prime ministers, the last meeting of which took place the other day  in Moscow, will record its positive results. We also expressed  satisfaction with the first meeting of the Committee on the  delimitation and security of the borders between Armenia and  Azerbaijan and expressed hope for its effective work. It has already  been announced that the next meeting of the Committee will be held in  Moscow. We expect that the Russian side will provide consultative  support to this process in accordance with the Sochi agreements of  November 26, 2021," Mirzoyan summed up.