Tuesday,
Pashinian Slams Azerbaijan Over ‘Territorial Claims’ Against Armenia
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian answers questions sent in by journalists
on Public Television/Facebook Live, .
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has slammed Azerbaijan over “clearly
demonstrating that it has territorial claims against Armenia”, calling for an
international reaction to what he described as Baku’s aggressive policies.
Answering questions of journalists during an online press conference on
Armenia’s Public Television, which was also streamed live on Facebook, on
Tuesday, Pashinian again ruled out what he called ‘corridor logic’ in unblocking
regional transport links, which is part of a Russia-brokered ceasefire deal that
stopped a 44-day war with Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh last November.
One of the clauses of the deal, in particular, commits Armenia and Azerbaijan to
reopening all transport links in the region, including transport connections
between the western regions of Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave via
Armenian territory.
Baku and Yerevan appear to interpret this point differently. While Armenia
insists that it should continue to maintain sovereignty over all roads and
railway links that are to be opened or constructed in its territory, Azerbaijan
appears to be demanding an extraterritorial corridor.
In his public statements Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly
demanded such a corridor, threatening to get it by force if Armenia refuses to
provide it.
At the same time, Aliyev has also said on a number of occasions that Azerbaijan
has no territorial claims towards Armenia and seeks a peace deal and mutual
recognition of borders between the two neighbors.
Pashinian said on Tuesday that with its aggressive policies Azerbaijan not only
invades Armenian sovereign territory, but also assails Armenia’s “statehood,
sovereignty, independence and democracy.” He pledged that Yerevan will continue
to raise this issue in the international arena.
“Azerbaijan clearly demonstrates that it has territorial claims against Armenia.
What does the ‘Zangezur corridor’ or ‘Western Zangezur’ expressions mean?” he
said. “We have stated before, and now we also declare that we have not discussed
the issue in corridor logic, we are not discussing it and will not be discussing
it, which does not mean that we are abandoning the agenda of opening regional
links.”
Pashinian said that after having been in a blockade for three decades Armenia,
in fact, may need regional unblocking more than Azerbaijan. He claimed that
Azerbaijan’s insistence on corridor logic may be aimed at thwarting Armenia’s
efforts to achieve this unblocking.
It was announced in recent days that Pashinian and Aliyev are going to have at
least two meetings in the coming weeks.
Over the weekend the two leaders confirmed that they agreed to meet on the
sidelines of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels on
December 15 following an offer by Charles Michel, the president of the European
Council. And earlier today it was reported that Pashinian and Aliyev will also
hold a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea
resort town of Sochi on November 26.
Pashinian said today that both meetings are the result of discussions that have
taken weeks or months. At the same time, he warned against expectations of
“quick results” from the upcoming meetings.
“I don’t think it is right to have big expectations from every specific meeting
– be they negative or positive. One should not expect any quick results. There
is tension in our region, and in order to overcome this tension, we must
negotiate,” Pashinian said.
According to him, humanitarian issues, including that of prisoners of war, are
likely to be on the agenda of the Brussels meeting.
“Our perception, which also proceeds from the general situation, is that
contacts between representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan should be more
frequent so that we can settle different situations, find solutions and try to
avoid crises,” Pashinian said.
In this context the Armenian leader stressed the importance of the establishment
of a direct communication line between Yerevan and Baku at the level of defense
ministers, which was announced after the European Council president’s phone
calls with Pashinian and Aliyev last week.
The announcements of the planned meetings between Pashinian and Aliyev were made
amid lingering border tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan that escalated
into clashes on November 16.
The fighting in which at least seven Azerbaijani and six Armenian soldiers were
killed was stopped through Russia’s mediation.
The worst Armenian-Azerbaijani fighting since last year’s ceasefire in
Nagorno-Karabakh renewed international calls for the delimitation and
demarcation of the Soviet-era border between the two South Caucasus countries.
A number of opposition groups in Yerevan have been holding street protests these
days, voicing concerns about possible risks that planned border demarcation
talks may involve.
Protesters, in particular, have claimed that by recognizing the Soviet-era
borders with Azerbaijan Armenia will effectively recognize that Nagorno-Karabakh
is Azerbaijani territory, which will harm the aspirations of the region’s ethnic
Armenians for self-determination.
In this connection Pashinian said today that Armenia and Azerbaijan already
recognized each other’s territorial integrity in 1991 when they participated in
the process of establishing the Commonwealth of Independence States, a loose
organization of post-Soviet states formed in the wake of the USSR’s breakup.
This, however, did not lead to the disappearance of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,
he said.
According to Pashinian, the delimitation and demarcation of borders,
Nagorno-Karabakh and regional unblocking are separate issues that need different
methods of discussing.
“Is the issue of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh – ed.] that of a territory? As we
understand it, it is not the issue of territory. The issue of Artsakh is the
issue of rights and has nothing to do with territory,” Pashinian said.
As for the questions asked about what the potential document on the delimitation
and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will be, Pashinian said that
“such a document will be about Armenia and Azerbaijan forming a commission that
will deal with border delimitation and demarcation work.”
“This document will not say that the border passes here or there,” he explained.
Armenia ‘Interested’ In Border Demarcation With Azerbaijan Beginning ‘As Soon As
Possible’
• Astghik Bedevian
• Robert Zargarian
Armenian MP Andranik Kocharian (file photo)
It is in the interest of Armenia that the process of delimitation and
demarcation of its Soviet-era border with Azerbaijan should start as soon as
possible, a senior pro-government lawmaker in Yerevan said on Tuesday.
Andranik Kocharian, who heads the National Assembly’s defense committee, told
reporters that it has been Armenia’s position stated repeatedly that it supports
the process.
“We are interested in this process beginning as soon as possible so that it
becomes clear where the zero point is, and it is after negotiations around that
point that problems related to engineering work to enhance our border defenses
will be getting solutions,” he said.
After fresh deadly border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan that were
stopped through Russia’s mediation last week Armenian Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian announced that Yerevan received new proposals from Moscow regarding
the “preparatory stage” of the process of border delimitation and demarcation
with Azerbaijan. He told his cabinet that those proposals were acceptable to
Armenia. Baku has not commented on the reported Russian offer yet.
Today, the Kremlin announced that a trilateral meeting between Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev will take place in Sochi on November 26.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Hraparak daily earlier on Tuesday Armenia’s
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian said that there was no agreement on signing
any document at the moment.
Andranik Kocharian, meanwhile, said that “if the [Russian] proposals are
acceptable for the prime minister, then they are in Armenia’s interests.”
Meanwhile, several opposition groups continued their street protests in Yerevan
today demanding that the government provide more information about the current
diplomatic processes around a possible border demarcation with Azerbaijan that
they view as risky for Armenia.
Protesters gather in Yerevan’s central Republic Square to demand that the
government shed light on current diplomatic processes around a possible border
demarcation with Azerbaijan. .
Protesters, in particular, claim that by recognizing the Soviet-era borders with
Azerbaijan Armenia will effectively recognize that Nagorno-Karabakh is
Azerbaijani territory, which will harm the aspirations of the region’s ethnic
Armenians for self-determination. Opposition activists are also wary of a
possible handover to Baku of several Azerbaijani enclaves that existed near
strategic roads in the territory of Soviet Armenia as well as Yerevan’s possible
agreement to provide Azerbaijan with an exterritorial corridor to its western
exclave of Nakhichevan.
Rallying in Yerevan today the opposition groups insisted on their right to know
about crucial decisions concerning the fate of the country.
Andranik Kocharian said that “nothing will be secret at some point.” “But in the
process of reaching that point, a lot will be secret... Our government,
nevertheless, keeps its key promises. This government will not do anything
behind the people’s back, that is why it has received people’s vote,” the
pro-government lawmaker added.
Meanwhile, an opposition lawmaker has cast doubt on the government’s honesty and
ability to keep its promises. Gegham Manukian, a member of the Hayastan faction,
insisted that the current processes should not be kept confidential.
“The declaration of surrender was signed not only behind the people’s backs, but
also secretly from the [rest of the] government, with the signature of just one
person. The pullout of Armenian troops in Syunik was also done secretly behind
the people’s back,” claimed Geghamian, referring to the November 9, 2020
Russia-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh
signed by Pashinian and a further arrangement for an Armenian withdrawal from
districts around the region.
Kremlin Says Leaders Of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan To Meet In Sochi On Nov. 26
• Heghine Buniatian
RUSSIA -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin (left to right) attend a trilateral
meeting in Moscow, January 11, 2020
A trilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take place
in Sochi on November 26, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
“It is planned to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached on
November 9 [2020] and January 11 [2021] as well as to outline further steps to
strengthen stability and establish a peaceful life in the region,” the statement
said, adding that the talks will be held upon the initiative of the Russian
president.
The Kremlin also said that the Russian president will hold bilateral meetings
with Pashinian and Aliyev.
In early November Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that a trilateral
meeting of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia was being prepared in
Moscow. Russian state television Rossia 1 even reported then that the meeting
could take place on the first anniversary of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire on
November 9. Shortly after that announcement Armenia’s prime minister denied that
there was any agreement about such a meeting. No meeting eventually took place.
Meanwhile, the European Union said on Friday that during phone talks with
Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, earlier last week
Pashinian and Aliyev agreed to meet on the sidelines of the EU’s Eastern
Partnership summit in Brussels on December 15.
“During the phone calls, the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders have also agreed
to establish a direct communication line, at the level of respective Ministers
of Defense, to serve as an incident prevention mechanism,” the EU said.
Both Yerevan and Baku have confirmed the upcoming meeting in Brussels.
The issue of the restive Armenian-Azerbaijani border is likely to be high on the
agenda of the upcoming meetings.
International calls for the two neighbors to engage in a process of delimitating
and demarcating their Soviet-era border renewed after last week’s clashes that
left at least seven Azerbaijani and six Armenian soldiers dead.
The November 16 fighting along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border that was stopped
through Russian mediation proved the most serious incident after the 2020 war in
Nagorno-Karabakh in which nearly 7,000 people were killed.
In last year’s war, Baku gained control of parts of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as
adjacent territories that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces
since the first war that lasted for nearly three years ended in 1994.
The second Karabakh war lasted for 44 days and was stopped due to a
Russia-brokered ceasefire. Some 2,000 Russian troops were deployed in the region
to monitor the ceasefire.
Yerevan Not Confirming Plans For Russia-Hosted Armenian-Azerbaijani Summit Yet
RUSSIA -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian attend a joint press
conference following a trilateral meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, January 11,
2021
Official Yerevan neither confirms nor denies media reports about a possible
meeting between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan later this week.
Responding to media requests for information, Armenian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Vahan Hunanian said late on Monday that “proposals for meetings in
different formats are being discussed.”
“When an agreement is reached on the date, place and format, we will inform you
about it in advance, within a reasonable timeframe,” he added.
Earlier, citing a person believed to have ties with ruling circles in both
Armenia and Russia, the Pastinfo website reported that a meeting between Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take place in the Russian resort town of
Sochi on November 26.
Reports about a possible Russia-hosted Armenian-Azerbaijani summit come days
after Yerevan and Baku confirmed that the two South Caucasus leaders had
accepted the European Union’s proposal for a meeting on the sidelines of the
Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels on December 15.
The announcement of the Brussels meeting was followed by a phone call between
Pashinian and Putin on November 21 in which the two sides, according to the
Kremlin, discussed “the situation in the region and measures aimed at
stabilizing the situation in the context of the agreements reached on
Nagorno-Karabakh on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021.”
The flurry of international diplomatic activity around Armenia and Azerbaijan
comes on the heels of another major escalation along the border between the two
countries that last year fought a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh stopped due
to a Russia-brokered ceasefire.
On November 18, just two days after Armenian-Azerbaijani border clashes in which
at least 13 troops were killed before they were stopped through Russia’s
mediation, Pashinian publicly accepted what appeared to be fresh proposals from
Moscow on starting the process of demarcating and delimitating the Soviet-era
border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Baku has not commented on the reported
Russian offer yet.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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