Author: Boshkezenian Garik

ICRC Armenia representative: 4 Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan provided with opportunity to contact relatives

Boshkezenian Garik
News.am, Armenia
Feb 4 2021
17:52, 04.02.2021

Head of Communication and Prevention Programs of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Armenia Zara Amatuni told RFE/RL that ICRC representatives have visited four Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, including civilians.

“On February 1 and 2, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited four Armenian civilians and servicemen who are being kept in Azerbaijan as a result of the recent escalation in the country. During the visits, we provided them with the opportunity to contact their relatives,” Amatuni said, adding that the representatives were told about the conditions for keeping the prisoners of war and learned about their health conditions.

Azerbaijan has officially confirmed the existence of only 57 Armenian prisoners of war, but based on the Armenian side’s data, there are over 200 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. Overall, Azerbaijan has returned 59 captives to Armenia, including civilians, while Armenia has returned 15 captives, including not only prisoners of war, but also Azerbaijanis Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askerov, who were convicted of murder of a child and other crimes in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

Armenian, Russian FMs discuss repatriation of POWs

Boshkezenian Garik
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 27 2021  

On January 27, Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian had a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In a follow-up to previous contacts, the Ministers touched upon the bilateral agenda, regional stability and security issues. They exchanged views on the process of full implementation of the provisions of the November 9 and subsequent January 11 trilateral statements.

In the context of the humanitarian issues enshrined in the statement, Minister Aivazian stressed the priority of immediate, safe repatriation of prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees.

Minister Aivazian stressed that only lasting peace, which addresses the interests of all, can create real guarantees for the promotion of security, stability and development in the region.

Ministers Aivazian and Lavrov exchanged views on a number of issues on the international agenda.

European Parliament ‘Strictly Condemns’ Turkey’s Destabilizing Role in Karabakh

Boshkezenian Garik

January 21,  2020



European Parliament

In resolutions adopted on Wednesday, the European Parliament “strictly” condemned Turkey’s destabilizing role in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The resolution states that the European Parliament regrets that changes to the Nagorno-Karabakh status quo were made through military force, rather than peaceful negotiations and strongly condemns the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian facilities and places of worship.

The resolution also condemned the reported use of cluster munitions in the conflict; urges both Armenia and Azerbaijan to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which comprehensively bans their use, without further delay.

The resolution also “stresses that a lasting settlement still remains to be found and that the process of achieving peace and determining the region’s future legal status should be led by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and founded on the group’s Basic Principles; highlights the urgent need to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need, that the security of the Armenian population and its cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is ensured, and that internally displaced persons and refugees are allowed to return to their former places of residence; calls for all allegations of war crimes to be duly investigated and those responsible to be brought to justice; calls on the EU to be more meaningfully involved in the settlement of the conflict and not to leave the fate of the region in the hands of other powers.”

In Artcile 38 the European Parliament strongly condemns the destabilizing role of Turkey which further undermines the fragile stability in the whole of the South Caucasus region; calls on Turkey to refrain from any interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including offering military support to Azerbaijan, and to desist from its destabilizing actions and actively promote peace; condemns, furthermore, the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters by Turkey from Syria and elsewhere to Nagorno-Karabakh, as confirmed by international actors, including the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries; regrets its willingness to destabilize the OSCE Minsk Group as it pursues ambitions of playing a more decisive role in the conflict.

In the resolution on the implementation of the Common Security and Defense Policy the European Parliament welcomes the cessation of hostilities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh; underlines with concern the military involvement of third countries in the conflict and notably the destabilizing role and interference of Turkey; calls for an international investigation into the alleged presence of foreign fighters and use of cluster munitions and phosphorous bombs; calls on the European Union and international bodies to ensure that there is no impunity for war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh and for the use of prohibited weapons in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; insists on the need to allow humanitarian aid to get through, to proceed without delay with the exchange of prisoners and casualties, and on the need to preserve the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the resolutions on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy the European Parliament recognizes that the stability, security, peace and prosperity of the Western Balkans and the Eastern and Southern Neighborhood countries directly affect the Union’s own stability and security and that of its Member States, as well as its reputation as a geopolitical global actor; underlines the fact that the European Union is the biggest trading partner and investor in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries; calls for the EU to assume its strategic responsibility in the EU neighborhood and play a more timely, active, unified and effective role in the mediation and peaceful resolution of the ongoing tensions and conflicts, and in the prevention of any future conflicts in the neighborhood; believes that this can be achieved by prioritizing efforts at pre-emptive peace-building, including preventive diplomacy and early warning mechanisms, by strengthening bilateral cooperation and supporting democratic forces and the rule of law, by creating positive incentives for socio-economic stabilization and development, and by building up the resilience of societies, backed up by adequate budgetary resources; reaffirms its strong support for the Normandy Format, the Berlin Conference on Libya and the Minsk Group.

Artsakh reports 9 COVID-19 daily cases

Boshkezenian Garik

Save

Share

 11:26,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. 9 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours.

56 tests were conducted on January 18, the ministry of healthcare told Armenpress.

A total of 2266 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh.

The death toll stands at 31.

The number of active cases is 33.

The ministry of healthcare has again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to avoid new outbreaks and overcome the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia extends the quarantine for another six months

Boshkezenian Garik
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 11 2021
Armenia will extend the state of emergency for another six months, the Ministry of Health informs.
 
The Covid-related epidemic situation remains tense, and the World Health Organization warns of the danger of a third wave of the epidemic (taking into account the experience of a number of other countries including England, Spain, Germany, France, Russia).
 
Based on the above, the Republic of Armenia will extend the quarantine introduced on September 11, 2020 for another six months until July 11, 2021.
 
At the same time, taking into account the current epidemic situation in the Republic of Armenia, certain mitigations will be implemented.
 
Non-citizens of the Republic of Armenia will be able to cross the border of the Republic of Armenia also through land border checkpoints if they present a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours.
 
If a test result is unavailable, samples will be taken at the border checkpoint, and the person will have to self-isolate until the negative result is obtained (previously, this requirement was only available at air border checkpoints).
 
 Restrictions on holding public events have been repealed, including lifting the limit on the number of participants for public events (formerly 60 participants) and requirements for organizing events indoors.
 

Rare-in-Denver Armenian Treats Find A Home At House of Bread

Boshkezenian Garik
 Denver’s Mile High Magazine, CO
Jan 14 2021
EAT AND DRINK
Georgian cheese bread is just one of the goodies traditionally enjoyed in Armenia that you can pick up at the family-owned bakery.
 
BY JOHN LEHNDORFF •  JANUARY 14, 2021
We all have our passionate pursuits, like birders who keep a lifetime list of all the species they’ve personally see in nature. I’m that way about family-owned bakeries. For decades, I’ve enjoyed discovering new sweet shops in the Denver area that produce the breads and baked goods of various international cultures.
 
Until I stopped into south Denver’s House of Bread—which the Torosyan family opened on South Parker Road in November—I’d never tasted the legendary loaves of Armenia. “My parents are from Armenia originally, and we grew up in California before moving to Denver about 10 years ago. Our family has been baking and cooking at home our whole lives, but we never owned a bakery or restaurant,” says Katerina Torosyan, co-owner of the bakery.
 
 

While opening during a pandemic was tough, the family figured that the community will always need bread—and they were right. Now the challenge, Torosyan says, is producing enough loaves several times day to meet demand.
 
At House of Bread, you’ll find dishes that represent that culinary convergence found in Armenian fare, including baklava, mante (meat-filled dumplings), stuffed grape leaves, and various flatbreads—all dishes common in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Central Asia. “A lot of countries in the region have common borders and cuisines and different names for the same dish,” Torosyan says.
 
The star of the menu is ajarski—a type of Georgian khachapuri (cheese bread) that’s common in Armenia—and rightfully so. This grand breakfast experience consists of two eggs baked to order with feta and mozzarella inside an oval-shaped yeasted dough. The result is a molten meld of runny eggs and melted cheeses that you spoon up with hunks of the hot chewy bread boat. You can also add basturma, which are thin slices of cured dried beef. Pro tip: Call ahead to order your ajarski or be prepared to chill for up to 20 minutes while it bakes; be sure to eat the hearty dish right away (even if you do so in your car, as I did).
 
The savory side of House of Bread features perashki (cylindrical beef-, potato- or cheese-filled fritters); lahmajun, which are pizza-like, thin flatbreads topped with garlic-scented ground beef; and mante, Armenian beef dumplings in tomato sauce. “We make everything in the deli case ourselves,” says Torosyan, proudly pointing out beet salad with pomegranate and walnuts, olive salad, eggplant caviar, marinated peppers, and rice-stuffed grape leaves.
 
 
Pastries at House of Bread. Photo by Denise Mickelsen
The long glass pastry cases at House of Bread are packed with an array of treats ranging from muffins and cookies to baklava, honey cake, tiramisu cups, and fruit tarts. Along with espresso drinks, the bakery serves Armenian coffee,which is thick and bitter like its Turkish counterpart. For dessert, I had to try a pączki, those melt-in-your-mouth Polish yeasted doughnuts filled with apple, raspberry, or Nutella and coated in powdered sugar. I also grabbed a golden loaf of crusty matnakash, a perfect-for-dipping, focaccia-like bread for later.
Torosyan promises to soon supply a much-requested Armenian and Middle Eastern bakery favorite: “We are hoping to start baking lavosh—that’s the paper-thin bread—very soon,” she says.
 
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m; 2020 S. Parker Road, 720-727-0000

Platonic Armenia: a transition to tyranny? – New Eastern Europe

Boshkezenian Garik
New Eastern Europe
Jan 13 2021
Platonic Armenia: a transition to tyranny?
 
 
Following the revolution in 2018, Armenians were satisfied that they finally overcame a corrupt regime. After losing a war and experiencing democratic backsliding, the people who brought Pashinyan to power might be the ones bringing him down
 
– Tatevik Hovhannisyan
 
If we follow Plato’s understanding of regime transitions, it appears that Armenia can soon become a ‘tyranny’. This issue can be traced back to the beginning of the ‘Karabakh’ movement and the desire for independence from the Soviet Union.
 
 
The Soviet Union was a classic example of a totalitarian regime. It possessed a centralised government that faced little to no opposition, as well as an (at least publicly) obedient citizenry. In relation to Plato’s description of tyranny, it appears that many modern totalitarian regimes have adopted a very similar model of rule.
 
 
Despite this, when the pressures of Soviet totalitarianism proved too much to bare, citizens searched for ways to change the system. Starting in Poland with the rise of Solidarity, demonstrations against the region’s communist regimes soon resulted in a domino effect reaching other countries, including Soviet Armenia. Following this, ethnic Armenians also started to demand the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) autonomous region from Soviet Azerbaijan.
 
 
Both the people and political elite of the ‘Karabakh’ movement expressed their desire to see an ‘aristocrat’ among them become the leader of their newly established country. This was Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first democratically elected president of Armenia in 1991. He was chosen as he was a prominent scholar, highly intelligent (‘wise’, as Plato would say), spoke six or seven languages, and was able to negotiate and represent his nation well. For a short time, Armenia enjoyed the rule of its ‘wise’ leader, who was even able to give speeches in the UN General Assembly in English. As Plato said, however, a ‘Philosopher King’ will only remain on the throne until “the gold is mixed with copper and the iron with silver, and as a result the balance between virtue and human weaknesses is shifted”.
 
 
In keeping with Plato’s outlook, Levon Ter-Petrosyan was eventually removed from the throne by the country’s ‘timocrats’ or ‘warriors’. In the case of Armenia, these soldiers were those who fought in the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to make sure that Ter-Petrosyan could not “give back the lands”. This outcome would have been unacceptable for the warriors, as Artsakh represented the base of their power and influence. How could they let him give away their pride – the region for which they had fought without the final status for Nagorno Karabakh? Besides, there was also an ongoing security issue for both Artsakh and Armenia, which was ‘ensured’ by the adjacent regions to Artsakh (until the status of Artsakh will be solved). This issue does not exist any more as the recent Moscow-brokered agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia those regions were given back to Azerbaijan. The current situation has created new challenges for Yerevan and the internationally unrecognised Republic of Artsakh.
 
 
A ‘timocracy’ often emerges due to the inherent drawbacks of ‘aristocracy’. In reality, a timocratic system represents a combination of both aristocratic and oligarchic elements. Power is crucial in a timocracy, which is strengthened at the expense of virtue. The desire to accumulate property is very typical in this system. The seeds of this type of rule were already planted under Ter-Petrosyan. These later blossomed during the rule of Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia. With warriors in power, strict order and rule is maintained in the country. Subsequently, citizens must become more obedient to their government. Eventually, the warriors’ desire for power grows at such a rate that timocracy gradually turns into an ‘oligarchy’.
 
 
Such oligarchic rule was clear during under Kocharyan and it became even stronger under his successor Serzh Sargsyan. In an oligarchy, those who have money become the leaders of the country. As a result, materialism grows and becomes a key part of the oligarchic system. Laws are written to protect the property of those in power and their relatives. During this time, strict measures are taken to protect the property of the oligarchs. In an oligarchy, the society is divided into rich and poor and this social polarisation eventually becomes so clear that one day the society finds itself threatened by revolution. Following this, the ‘democratic’ leader comes to power. In the case of Armenia, this occurred as a result of the “Velvet Revolution” in 2018.
 
 
In a democracy power belongs to the people. Despite this, the leaders, who are meant to be the voice of the people, may start doing what they want without consulting the population. This issue is typical in societies where there are no established democratic traditions. During and right after the revolution, the Armenian people were mostly willing to ignore minor violations and infringements by the new leader. After all, Nikol Pashinyan was “their king”. Should the ‘king’ continue to ignore previous promises, however, the people may start to behave in a similar way to their beloved leader of the revolution. Blocking the streets, for example, is a method that has proven to work well in Armenia. This has become a key tactic for various interest groups in the country. For example, importers of right-hand drive vehicles blocked government buildings and organised a demonstration in order to challenge a decree that threatened their business interests. There are many other examples of these protest tactics in the country. Today, Pashinyan has become a victim of his own success. His own revolutionary tactics are now being used against him by people demanding his resignation following the country’s recent capitulation.
 
 
According to Plato, “democracy is the son of oligarchy”. If in many cases the oligarch, according to him, has temperate characteristics, the democrat is characterised to have insatiable desires. In Armenia, for example, the oligarchs were earning money by evading taxes, while the revolutionary government justified its own desire to earn money by introducing a bonus system for its “well-deserving” public servants. Or when many oligarchs were found to be smoking marijuana in private, the democratic parliament members started to speak about the necessity of legalising the drug. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad thing, this should not be a priority immediately following the country’s military defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh. Military and civilian captives are still being held by Azerbaijan, their return still remains a crucial issue and many people are homeless and jobless as a consequence of the war. There are more urgent challenges to deal with at the moment!
 
 
Democrats are by nature adventurous and this creates the instability that leads them to lose control. This situation can ultimately lead to anarchy. This appears to describe what is happening in Armenia now. After the disgraceful capitulation, Nikol Pashinyan is unable to manage government affairs and has been distracted by micromanagement. Referring to Plato, democrats in an anarchic society are usually afraid of being killed as they soon find themselves with many enemies. After the revolution in 2018, Pashinyan could freely walk the streets. Now, his security in parliament has been strengthened with additional forces from the police. This is an example of how a democratic leader can become a tyrant.
  
The end of the cycle
 
 
Pashinyan is not able to run the country because he has spent all his life criticising the previous regime. The ability to criticise government and have an effective opposition is essential to building truly democratic institutions, but not enough to govern. The prime minister should have spent time strengthening state security, enhancing democratic institutions, creating favourable conditions for investment and improving strategic relations in accordance with the country’s geopolitical peculiarities. However, he has shown that he now only acts in accordance with his own desires. He has divided the country into ‘black and white’. He started to abuse the power by violating the principle of independence. For instance, he has publicly ordered the courts to open cases against the officials of previous corrupt regimes and has even demanded that the police and the national security services “hunt” his opponents. Overall, he has turned hatred into a principle of governance and lies into a form of governing. The country’s military capitulation has led to anarchy and no public institution has functioned properly ever since.
 
 
This situation can not last for a long time. According to Plato, a new cycle should start with the creation of an aristocracy. Plato’s aristocrat, when updated for modern times, resembles a modern technocrat. Today’s Armenia needs technocrats and it does not matter what political party they represent. This is because both the country’s ‘old’ and ‘new’ political factions include many acceptable politicians. Armenia must put an end to this distorted ‘democracy’ and anarchic regime. The country needs a technocratic government, which will help the country rise from its knees, establish the rule of law and continue on its chosen path to real democracy otherwise it will collapse.
 
This article was originally published in Armenian in the daily online news outlet Aravot.
 
Tatevik Hovhannisyan is a political scientist, specialised in political communications and civil society affairs. She is a graduate of the “Hannah Arendt” Promotion at the College of Europe in Natolin, 2019-2020.
 

First meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani leaders since war – what to expect? Commentary

Boshkezenian Garik
JAM News
Jan 10 2021
JAMnews, Baku-Yerevan  
 
 
 
Russian President Putin is arranging a trilateral meeting with the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia on January 11 in Moscow.
 
This will be the first meeting since the end of the second Karabakh war (September 27-November 10, 2020).
 
 
Armenia and Azerbaijan have radically different expectations from this meeting.
 
In Yerevan, discussions are expected on economic issues and the problem of returning prisoners and searching for the missing.
 
Azerbaijan considers the main issue to discuss further conditions for the stay of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.
 
Below: a survey of opinions from Yerevan and Baku, as well as a commentary by a Russian political scientist who believes that “Armenians should leave Karabakh along with their weapons.”
 
•Armenia: protests over alleged Pashinyan-Aliev meeting, rumored territory surrender
•The road to Nakhichevan: is Armenia surrendering its territories to Azerbaijan or emerging from blockade?
 
 
News from Yerevan
 
Press Secretary of the Prime Minister of Armenia Mane Gevorgyan said on her Facebook page that during the meeting the issue of regional transport corridors would be discussed.
 
First of all, this concerns the issue of international cargo transportation, including from Armenia to Russia and Iran, as well as from the central regions of Armenia to the Syunik region bordering with Azerbaijan through Nakhichevan.
 
Gevorgyan says the active discussions in the society both in Azerbaijan and Armenia of the so-called “project of the Meghri corridor” – the possible construction of a new transit road that will connect the Azerbaijani autonomy of Nakhichevan – with Azerbaijan as misleading. This is a road that will pass through the territory of Armenia – through the city of Meghri.
 
“In the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 (which stopped the hostilities) there is no clause on Meghri or any other provision on the creation of a corridor through the territory of Armenia,” wrote Mane Gevorgyan.
 
Another key topic for discussion at the meeting of the leaders in Moscow in Armenia is considered the issue of returning prisoners, rescuing soldiers who remained on the Azerbaijani rear, finding the bodies of the dead and clarifying the fate of the missing.
 
“Without resolving this issue or significant progress, it will be very difficult to achieve an effective discussion of the economic agenda,” Gevorgyan wrote.
 
As a result of the negotiations, she said, it is possible to adopt a joint statement if “an agreement can be reached on all the above issues.”
 
Within the framework of Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow, a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will also take place.
 
Politicians and the public in Armenia fear “another humiliating agreement with Azerbaijan”
 
The announced meeting in Moscow has caused a stormy and mostly negative reaction in Armenia.
 
A few comments from social media:
 
“New meeting – new betrayal”
 
“The authorities say that nothing about Meghri is written in the trilateral statement (dated November 10, 2020). So there is not a word about the village of Shurnukh either. Then why did we give it away?”
 
“The agreement of November 9 did not contain provisions on many issues, but a lot of things were promised orally – for example, the clarification of borders with the help of GPS and the transfer of Armenian territories to Azerbaijan.”
 
The Armenian media has published information that during his visit to Moscow, Nikol Pashinyan is allegedly going to sign the following agreements on the:
•Opening of a corridor through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan
•Transfer of some territories of Armenia to Azerbaijan
•Withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh
 
It is alleged that the relevant documents have already been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.
 
President Armen Sargsyan called on Prime Minister Pashinyan to be guided exclusively by national interests and to follow the requirements of the Constitution and legislation of Armenia when reaching any agreements.
 
“We demand that Yerevan not endanger the sovereignty, statehood and territorial integrity of Armenia by signing any agreement,” said the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, the spiritual pastor of the Armenian dioceses of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, the countries of the Persian Gulf, Greece , USA, Canada and Cyprus.
 
Ishkhan Saghatelyan, a representative of the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party, wrote on his Facebook page: “Nikol has become persona non grata in Armenia and the Armenian world. From now on, only the enemy will shake Nikol’s hand, and with the help of the enemy he continues to hold the post of Prime Minister of Armenia. But this is temporary. “
 
Vazgen Manukyan, the single candidate for prime minister from the opposition Movement to Save the Motherland, stated that “Nikol Pashinyan does not represent Armenia and Artsakh. Any decision that contradicts the interests of Armenia and Artsakh […] will not be ratified and will be canceled after the change of government.
 
Baku: Negotiations are needed on the duties and powers of the Russian peacekeepers
 
Head of the Center for Global and Regional Security Problems Gabil Huseynli in an interview with JAMnews about what should be at the center of discussions at the meeting between Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin.
 
“First, concrete negotiations are needed on the responsibilities and powers of the peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh. There is news that the peacekeepers are conducting exercises with the involvement of Armenian forces, although this has not yet been officially announced.
 
Sanctions should be stipulated for a peacekeeping mission if it goes beyond its mandate.
 
Second, there are frequent changes to the peacekeeping maps. Sometimes some territories under the control of Azerbaijan are passed off as territories under the control of the peacekeeping mission. This is unacceptable and strikes at the credibility of Russian forces in the region.
 
Thirdly, Azerbaijan will never recognize the “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” and its “president” Arayik Harutyunyan. A governor-general of this territory should be appointed soon, taking into account the opinion of Azerbaijan. And Harutyunyan is charged under several points of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code and should be handed over to official Baku.
 
Fourth, a corridor between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan should be opened in the near future. The Armenian side is trying to change the approach to this issue. A red line must be drawn along this corridor.
 
Fifth, Turkey should also be present at the next such meetings. Because Turkey is part of the process, and Russia recognizes this. I think that the presence of official Ankara in the negotiation process will not allow him to enter a dead end. “
 
Russian political scientist: “This is the territory of Azerbaijan, Armenians must leave it along with their weapons”
 
Political scientist, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko in an interview with the Moscow-Baku magazine:
 
“In the trilateral statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, since it was elaborated in wartime and temporary time pressure, it was impossible to detail in detail all aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement after the end of the Karabakh war.
 
Therefore, in my opinion, [the upcoming January 11] trilateral meeting should more clearly, in detail, define the following issues.
1.Complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the territory of Azerbaijan. This applies not only to the direct armed forces of Armenia, but also to illegal Armenian armed formations of the so-called NKR, which de facto does not exist, but which is trying to pretend to be something of itself.
2.Determination of state borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
3.Transport corridors that should work in the region. The Trilateral Statement [Nov 10, 2020] clearly fixes the transport corridor between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. And the creation of such a transport corridor is also in the interests of Armenia.
4.Control in Karabakh should be in the hands of the Russian peacekeepers, and not the self-proclaimed so-called leaders of the non-existent NKR.
 
That’s it, the war is over. The status of Nagorno-Karabakh has not been determined, but this is the territory of Azerbaijan, therefore, the Armenians must leave this region with their weapons.”