Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations not stalemated – Armen Grigoryan

ARMINFO
Armenia – July 12 2022
Alexandr Avanesov

ArmInfo.Official Yerevan hopes for substantial meetings in the near future to discuss a peace agreement with Baku, Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security  Council, stated in an interview with the Public TV of Armenia. 

He disagrees with the opinion that the Baku-Yerevan peace talks are  stalemated. In this context, Mr Grigoryan recalled the vice-premiers'  meeting on the border, where they discussed border delimitation, as  well as their meeting in Saint Petersburg, where they discussed the  unblocking of transport links.  According to him, the sides attempted  to draw their positions closer. 

The next meetings are to take place in Moscow and Brussels. Mr  Grigoryan also hopes for a meeting with one of the aides to the  president of Azerbaijan. The meeting agenda is under consideration,  he said. 

"Let us hop for substantial meetings for discussing a peace agreement  in thee near future, and we can progress. The Ministry of Foreign  Affairs is working. So let us hope for progress in the near future,"  Mr Grigoryan said. 

In this context, he highlights the importance of the latest telephone  talk between the Armenian and Turkish leaders, which is one more step  toward rapprochement between the two nations. During their talk,  Nikol Pashinyan and Recep Erdogan discussed issues of cargo  transportation and opening of the border for residents of third  countries, which was earlier agreed on by the Armenian and Turkish  special envoys. Mr Grigoryan believes that the border will be opened  in the future for Armenian and Turkish citizens as well. 

"We hope and go on discussing the issue with out partners," he said. 

The normalization process is going on without any preconditions, and  the public statements on the negotiations fully reflect the context  of the negotiations. Armenia is regarding normalization with Turkey  as a bilateral process, Mr Grigoryan said. 

As regards the implementation of the agreements reached at the  special envoys' latest meeting in Vienna, Mr Grigoryan said that  great preparatory work has been carried out, and Armenia's ruling  political team hopes that the agreements will be implemented in the  in the shortest possible time. Mr Grigoryan also voiced the opinion  that improved economic relations with Turkey will have a positive  impact on Armenia's economy. He hopes that the Pashinyan-Erdogan  telephone talk will open up opportunities for meetings between  Armenian and Turkish representatives in Armenia and Turkey. Armenia  is informing Russia and all its partners of the negotiations.  "Since  Russian has been involved from the outset, it is being informed of  and participating in the whole normalization process," M Grigoryan  said.