12:57,
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. The Pashinyan Administration released the Government Program’s 2022 report, mentioning details on the negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Talks with Azerbaijan proceeded in the following main directions:
- Peace treaty and establishment of relations
- Settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
- Unblocking of regional transport and economic connections
- Delimitation and security
- Humanitarian issues
Separating the peace treaty signing from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process remains acceptable for Armenia with the logic that international mechanisms for discussions between Stepanakert and Baku are developed. The formation of guaranteed mechanisms for addressing the security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh – again with international visibility and involvement – is significant for Armenia.
In context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan treaty, the development of security guarantees of Armenia’s 29,800 square kilometers of territory is crucial for the Armenian government, and the formation of a practical mechanism for settling possible misinterpretations and disputes regarding the text of the treaty.
The report notes that pursuant to the 6 October 2022 Prague and 31 October Sochi meetings, Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed commitment to recognize each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the UN Charter and the 1991 Alma Ata Declaration. Under the Sochi statement, the two countries clearly agreed to refrain from the use of force or the threat of force, and to discuss and resolve all contentious issues exclusively by respecting the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The report adds that Armenia is interested in the unblocking of regional economic and transport connections and stands ready to implement it as soon as possible under Armenian legislation within the framework of the Armenian Crossroads project. The new opportunities for the movement of cargo, goods and citizens will significantly increase the attractiveness of the Armenian Crossroads for international and regional passenger and cargo transportation, and significantly emphasize Armenia’s untapped logistic role in the region, which will in turn ensure additional security and stability guarantees.
Agreements around a number of humanitarian issues with Azerbaijan remain outstanding. Despite the terms of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, Azerbaijan continues to keep 33 captured Armenian nationals in custody. Armenia pursues the issue of returning its nationals in all international instances, including the ECHR and the ICJ.
31 captives were repatriated in 2022.
The issue of missing persons remains significant in the relations of Armenia and Azerbaijan. 975 people from the Armenian side are missing (777 from the First Nagorno Karabakh War, 196 from the Second Nagorno Karabakh War and 2 from the September Azeri aggression.
In 2022 Armenia conveyed to Azerbaijan three maps of the possible locations of the remains of 35 Azerbaijanis presumed missing.
Armenia filed 4 complaints against Azerbaijan in the ECHR in 2022 regarding the mass human rights violations during the 2020 war and the following two months, torture, ill-treatment, murder, violations of right to property and other rights, illegal trials against POWs, human rights violations as a result of Azeri occupation of sovereign territory of Armenia, the events in Parukh and Karaglukh and Lachin Corridor.
In 2022, Armenia also filed a complaint against Azerbaijan in the International Court of Justice under the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.
In all interstate applications Armenia has raised the demands on compensations for material and non material damages.
The Armenian Prime Minister and the Azerbaijani president held 5 EU-mediated meetings, 1 Russia-mediated meeting, and another US-mediated meeting in 2022.