12:48, 13 December 2023

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenia envisions the effectiveness of peace talks with Azerbaijan in the same platform where it started, a senior lawmaker said Wednesday.

“Armenia is always ready for talks,” Sargis Khandanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, representing the ruling Civil Contract party, said at a press briefing when asked to comment on the latest statement from Moscow claiming that Armenia has turned down Russia-mediated negotiations, whereas Azerbaijan has agreed to it.

“Unfortunately, in the past months we’ve seen that Azerbaijan is the one who’s avoiding the negotiations and not participating. We expect our colleagues to be able to bring Azerbaijan to the negotiations table,” Khandanyan said.

The MP said it’s the content of the talks that matter, and not the type or format.

“A certain logic of negotiations has been developed, which must be continuous. Perhaps changing the platforms of negotiations is a tactics by Azerbaijan in order to avoid the negotiations. This is the reason why we want the logic of the negotiations to be continuous. And we envision the effectiveness of it in this format, meaning, to continue the conversation where it had begun,” Khandanyan said.

Asked whether Armenia finds the Russian platform to be trustworthy considering the fate of the November 9 agreement, which Russia failed to guarantee as a party, the MP said this is a legitimate concern and question.

“And unfortunately, today we’ve appeared in a situation where main principled issues of the November 9 statement relating to ensuring the security of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and their stay in Nagorno-Karabakh, also relating to the Lachin Corridor haven’t been fulfilled, and are disrupted. That legitimate concern and question still remains,” the MP said.

MP Artur Hovhannisyan from Civil Contract added that Armenia doesn’t differentiate between the platforms of talks if the principles are maintained – recognition of territorial integrities, unblocking of roads under the sovereignty of the countries.

“There was the November 9 statement, and everyone saw what happened. And basically the trust and sentiments stem from the realities,” he said.