Armenian Minister of Economy presents "Crossroads of Peace" initiative to German counterpart

Hambik Zargarian

 12:56,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of his visit to Berlin, the Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan had a meeting with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection Franziska Brantner,  the Ministry of Economy said.
The prospects for bilateral cooperation in the field of the economy, the current state of Armenia's economy, the indicators recorded in the field, and development prospects were discussed.
During the meeting, Vahan Kerobyan presented the details of the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative.
The parties also discussed the possibilities of cooperation with German companies, including in the field of mining.

Direct contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan more or less active, says Pashinyan

Jagharian Tania

 13:30,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressing the session of the initiative group of his Civil Contract party and presenting details of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, stated that there had been various episodes in mediated and direct contacts during that period.
“As a matter of fact, direct contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan are now more or less active.
Basically, there are working channels to work, particularly between my office and the office of the President of Azerbaijan.
Through those channels a joint statement was accepted on December 7, resulting in the return of 32 prisoners from Azerbaijan to Armenia,'' said Pashinyan.

According to the Prime Minister, Armenia and Azerbaijan are working on the text of the peace treaty and sending it to each other sequentially.

Armenia expects guarantees from Azerbaijan of no hidden territorial claims: Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

 13:43,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS.  In the peace process, Armenia expects guarantees from Azerbaijan of not having hidden territorial claims and is ready to reciprocally give the same guarantee to Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting of the Civil Contract party on Saturday.

"We have reached a point where we want additional guarantees to ensure that we, from Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan, from us, do not harbor territorial claims and hidden ambitions.

Diplomatic texts always have different twists, subtexts, and footnotes. In the footnotes of Azerbaijan's proposals, and perhaps Azerbaijan in ours, observe the dangers of territorial claims, if not today, then in the future," Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister believes that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is  possible on a theoretical level.

“In fact, recent discussions have leant in the direction that Armenia and Azerbaijan have no territorial demands from each other and mutually undertake not to make such territorial demands in the future. This is the understanding that has been achieved during this time,” said Pashinyan.

The 1991 border should be formally documented- Pashinyan on the delimitation process

Garnik Tadevosian

 14:13,

YEREVAN, JAN UARY 20, ARMENPRESS.The border delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan isn’t about creating a border, but the border that existed in 1991 or between the republics of the Soviet Union should be restated in a documentary form as an administrative border.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting of his Civil Contract party on Saturday, presenting details of the peace process.
"Is there an idea about the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia? Yes, there is an answer to this question. On October 6, 2022, an agreement was reached in Prague where Armenia and Azerbaijan recognized each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.
The Alma-Ata Declaration signifies the dissolution of the Soviet Union and those republics of the Union that signed the Alma-Ata Declaration state that their administrative borders would become state borders. We accept this principle.
In fact, a quadripartite statement was adopted in Prague, which Azerbaijan also accepted. We emphasize, and this is evident, that the delimitation process should not establish new borders. The border that existed between the republics of the USSR in 1991, functioning as an administrative border, should be documented on the ground," said the Prime Minister.
According to the Prime Minister, the ongoing bilateral working process between Armenia and Azerbaijan should yield tangible results. Both countries should not only declare their unconditional recognition of each other's territorial integrity but also formalize this reality in the peace treaty – de jure.
"Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have internationally recognized territories. The internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenia is the territory of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,’’ said PM Pashinyan.

Statements from Baku may give impression of deliberately bringing peace process to dead end –PM

Talar Tumanian

 14:18,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Statements coming from official Baku may give the impression that Azerbaijan is intentionally attempting to derail the peace process, but even in this case, Armenia does not want to change its strategy, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting of his Civil Contract party on Saturday.

Statements by official Baku may even create the impression that Azerbaijan is deliberately trying to bring the peace process to a dead end, pursuing some further goals. However, even with such an interpretation, I think we should not change our strategy.

''Our strategy has been and should continue to be the strengthening of the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, as it expresses  the understanding of the entire international community," said the Prime Minister, emphasizing that Armenia's strategy should be based on the legitimacy.



Armenpress: Armenian Ambassador, Hungarian official exchange ideas on deepening cooperation between the two countries

Dabaghian Diana

 16:38,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Hungary, Ashot Smbatyan on Friday had a meeting with the Advisor to the Hungarian President on Foreign Relations, Kristof Altusz, said the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Hungary.

The parties exchanged ideas on possible directions for enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation between Armenia and Hungary.

Armenpress: Ready to ensure communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan – on the same terms as Iran does, says Pashinyan

Arbi Tashjian

 23:25, 13 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. From time to time, attempts are being made to form a “corridor” narrative regarding the territory of Armenia.
Moreover, when we say that this is an encroachment on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, they say that this is an internationally recognized statement that there is a North-South corridor, a southern corridor, a northern corridor, and they give specific examples of communications passing through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Armenian Prime Minister said Saturday in Gavar.

“There is a topic of the Azerbaijan-Nakhijevan connection, and parallels are being drawn about ensuring that connection through the territory of Iran.


To get out of the word games, we say that under the conditions that Iran provides the connection, we are ready for both the railway and the highway under the same conditions," Nikol Pashinyan said.

PM Pashinyan noted that Azerbaijan has been developing talk about the Zangezur Corridor for three years, referring to the tripartite statement of November 9.

“The two parties of the tripartite declaration that signed the statement dated November 9, 2020, have shown since September 2023 that this document does not exist for them. The actions that were taken in Nagorno-Karabakh, with the participation of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan, are evidence that this document does not exist for them. 

It cannot be that this document ceases to exist for the two parties to the tripartite statement, but for the third party continued to exist,’’ said the PM.

Pashinyan mentioned that Azerbaijan has been developing a corridor discourse for three years already, referring to the statement of November 9. 

The Prime Minister emphasized that in the November 9 statement, there was no mention of the corridor, nor was there any provision stating that the security of the road passing through the territory of Armenia should be ensured by the Russian Federation.

According to Pashinyan, there is a political understanding that the roads and borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be opened based on the principles of sovereignty and jurisdiction. 

Addressing the statements from Azerbaijan that they need unhindered movement, Pashinyan said that Armenia is not against unhindered movement, but unhindered movement does not  imply a violation of legislation.



Pashinyan responds to Azerbaijan’s statements on Armenia’s arms acquisition

Chalian Meline

 23:59, 13 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS.  At the session of the initiative group of the 'Civil Contract' party held in the city of Gavar on Saturday, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, referred to the statements made by Azerbaijan regarding Armenia's implementation of reforms in the army and arms acquisition.

“On the one hand, Azerbaijan presents territorial demands to Armenia, announces that it will strengthen its army, on the other hand, complains that Armenia is buying weapons from France and India.What is the logic here?

Any country has the right to have an army, no one can question it," Pashinyan stated.

According to him, it is understandable that all this should be put in the context of regional security. “Armenia may have concerns regarding Azerbaijan's armaments, and Azerbaijan may have concerns about Armenia. This is the reason why we say: let's sign a peace agreement in a way that does not make war possible,' said PM Pashinyan.

Pashinyan proposes Azerbaijan to sign an arms control agreement

Antonian Lara

 00:21, 14 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, stated on Saturday that when he reviews Azerbaijan's proposals regarding the peace treaty, he sometimes gets the impression that the country is attempting to create a document that legitimizes future wars. PM Pashinyan noted that such an approach is beyond logic.

He noted that Armenia offered to withdraw the troops from the border defined by the Alma Ata Declaration, but Azerbaijan refused. Azerbaijan also rejected Armenia's proposal to demilitarize the border zones.

"I can make another offer: let's sign an arms control agreement so that Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a concrete  agreement regarding arms and have the opportunity to monitor each other in terms of fulfilling these agreements. Of course, this is a new proposal, but if we sincerely want to move towards peace, all these issues can be addressed," Pashinyan noted.

Armenpress: Azerbaijan raises issue of 4 villages, Armenia – 32: Pashinyan proposes practical solutions to the enclave problem

Talar Tumanian

 01:04, 14 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasized the imperative for practical steps based on mutually agreed-upon maps regarding the adjustment of territories, borders, as well as issues of enclaves and exclaves with Azerbaijan.
"Azerbaijan raises the issues of four villages, while the Republic of Armenia raises the issues of 32 villages, the vital territories of which have been occupied, including those in the region of Gegharkunik.
Given our commitment to recognizing each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration, we state that there should be no occupied territories between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Therefore, if it is determined that Armenia controls territories that 'de jure' belong to Azerbaijan, Armenia will have to withdraw. Similarly, for territories that 'de jure' belong to Armenia but are currently controlled by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan will have to withdraw," PM Pashinyan said Saturday.
“This is the political agreement that has been recorded, but it is impossible to implement it practically without a mutually agreed map.
There is one way to adjust the territories: to politically base the maps expressing the provisions of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, go to see the reality on the ground and match the realities to the maps.
"The opposite approach means creating a situation that will constantly lead to escalations, which can’t be a foundation for peace," Pashinyan said.
He noted that Artsvashen has been under the occupation of Azerbaijan for 30 years. 
“A political agreement has largely been reached that this issue should be addressed through a certain model. The same approach should be applied here, using mutually agreed-upon maps as the basis for accurately addressing the territory and the problem,” noted Pashinyan.