Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, in an interview with Armenpress, addressed the 5 principles of the peace treaty that Azerbaijan transmitted to the Armenian side, presenting the Armenian side’s position regarding them.
– Yesterday, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister publicized, according to them, the 5 principles of the peace treaty transmitted to Armenia. Is that indeed the document transmitted to Armenia?
– Yes, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister has publicized the proposals transmitted to Armenia. Incidentally, it is noteworthy that the letter dated February 21 was transmitted to the Armenian side only on March 10.
– What is the Armenian side’s position regarding the aforementioned proposals?
– First, it is important to emphasize that every negotiation over the peace treaty must proceed without preconditions.
As for the proposals themselves, the two countries, in essence, by jointly signing the agreement on the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States on December 8, 1991, have already recognized each other’s territorial integrity and have accepted that they have no territorial claims against each other.
It should also be noted that the points mentioned in the proposal do not fully reflect the entire agenda of existing issues. For the Armenian side it is a matter of principle and fundamental that the rights and freedoms of the Armenians of Artsakh be clearly guaranteed, and that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh be definitively clarified. For us, the NK issue is not a territorial question, but one of rights.
As we have already informed, the Armenian side has responded to the Azerbaijani proposal, in line with the stated position.
– The proposals voiced by Azerbaijan also address the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries, as well as the unblocking of transport infrastructure in the region. How are these processes proceeding?
We consider that the agreements enshrined in the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021 and November 26, 2021 must be fully implemented, and we continue to be consistent in this direction. As you know, we have even come forward with comprehensive proposals for implementing those agreements, such as the proposal for the start of the delimitation process with a mirror withdrawal of troops and the introduction of an international monitoring mechanism, which, however, the Azerbaijani side has rejected.
– In what format do you see possible negotiations over the peace treaty?
– Earlier, the RA Foreign Ministry had already stated that it had appealed to the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group to organize negotiations over the peace treaty, taking as a basis the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Helsinki Final Act.
