19:35, 4 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NikolPashinyan considers it important to continue the peace process with Azerbaijan, emphasizing that it should continue based on three key principles. As"Armenpress" reports, Pashinyan reminded during the Parliament-Cabinet Q&A sessionthat these principles were recorded in the statement made by President of the European Council Charles Michel, following the meeting held in Brussels on July 15, 2023.

"Those principles are as follows: First, Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity with the understanding that the territory of the Republic of Armenia is 29,800sq km, and the territory of Azerbaijan is 86, 600 sq km.

Secondly, the declaration of Alma-Ata should become a political basis for border delimitation and later for demarcation as well. It is very important that before the delimitation a decision is made and an agreement is reached to define on the basis of which maps the delimitation and demarcation will be done. Our opinion is that it should be done on the basis of the 1975 maps, but in principle it is not the case that our position on this issue is very rigid. For example, there were maps after 1975 as well, which are mostly reproductions of 1975.

Thirdly, the opening of communications in the region will take place on the basis of the principle of sovereignty, jurisdiction, legislation, equality and reciprocity of countries.

I think that if Azerbaijan reaffirms its commitment to the principlespublicly stated, we can practically consider that the conclusion of a peace treaty is only a matter of a short time," Mr. Pashinyan emphasized.

However, the Prime Minister considers it problematic that the top officials of Azerbaijan have not reaffirmed their commitment to the mentioned principles.

“The day Azerbaijan declares that they reaffirm their commitment to the three principles I mentioned, we can consider peace as practically achieved," Mr. Pashinyan emphasized.

The Prime Minister also stated that these principles were also included in the agreement that he was going to sign in Granada.

"These three principles are of utmost importance. Without them, no matter what we sign, will be a polite statement. That is the cornerstone. I would not only sign, but I would confidently address to people, I would say that we have passed about the 70 percent of the way to the signing of the peace treaty," Mr. Pashinyan noted, stressing that it would be the most difficult part of the path of peace.