Author: Liana Toganian

As Armenia-Azerbaijan diplomacy advances, a solution to Karabakh remains elusive

Liana Toganian
May 17 2023
Joshua Kucera May 17, 2023
An Azerbaijani victory monument in the formerly Armenian-populated town of Hadrut in Nagorno-Karabakh (Azertac)

As diplomacy intensifies between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the two sides appear close to reaching agreement on some critical issues, the most sensitive issue of all – the fate of the ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh – remains the biggest sticking point.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and European Union President Charles Michel met on May 14 in Brussels, following up on multi-day negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington two weeks earlier. 

In Michel’s statement to the press following the meeting, one figure attracted particular attention: a reference to Azerbaijan’s approximate total area, 86,600 square kilometers. It was mentioned in the context of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreeing to recognize the other’s territorial integrity. The specific number underscored that in terms of Azerbaijan, this includes Nagorno-Karabakh, still populated by tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians.

It is yet further confirmation that Armenia is prepared to accept Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. It is a dramatic shift following nearly three decades of helping to prop up the ethnic Armenian, self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic that was formed after the first war between the two sides in the 1990s and the resultant ethnic cleansing of the region’s former ethnic Azerbaijani population.

“Armenia has accepted what the international community has accepted all along, that Karabakh was, is, and will remain part of Azerbaijan,” said one Western diplomat familiar with the negotiations, speaking to Eurasianet on condition of anonymity. 

But in the current negotiations with Azerbaijan, Armenia is seeking guarantees that the region won’t now see another round of ethnic cleansing. Yerevan is trying to ensure that a peace agreement with Baku guarantees the rights and security of the Karabakh Armenians, maintained by some kind of international mechanism.

Azerbaijan, for its part, argues that what happens in Karabakh is solely a domestic issue, not subject to any international interference.

In his statement, Michel said that the talks included “exchanges on the issue of the rights and security of Armenians living in the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.” And he included a pointed appeal to Baku: “I encouraged Azerbaijan to engage in developing a positive agenda with the aim of guaranteeing the rights and security of this population, in close cooperation with the international community.”

Azerbaijan has yet to demonstrate much interest in developing a positive agenda. In their public statements, Azerbaijani officials have not offered any vision of how Armenians’ cultural, educational, language or any other rights may be protected, instead offering take-it-or-leave-it ultimatums.

“We have repeatedly stated that we will not discuss our internal affairs with any country. Karabakh is our internal matter,” Aliyev said in an April 18 interview. “Armenians living in Karabakh should either accept Azerbaijani citizenship or find another place to live.” 

The Western diplomat said that the negotiations have touched on local rights for Karabakh Armenians (without providing specifics) but said that the onus also was on Baku to do more publicly. 

“You can only do so much behind closed doors. What is needed is for Baku to step up to the plate and say that this is what we are offering, these are the reassurances that we are willing to give so people feel safe to stay where they are,” the diplomat said. 

“It should be in the Azerbaijanis’ own best interest to come up with something that is magnanimous enough to assure the Karabakhis, within the framework of Azerbaijan’s own laws and regulations,” the diplomat continued. “It shouldn’t be all that difficult, and it would buy Azerbaijan a heck of a lot of international recognition if this matter is handled well.” 

Azerbaijan may be willing to offer certain special rights for Armenians in Karabakh, said Shujaat Ahmadzada, a researcher at the Baku-based Topchubashov Center. Closed-door discussions in Baku have raised potential examples like Croatia, where Serbs have certain religious and cultural accommodations, Ahmadzada told Eurasianet. Another potential model is the West Bank, where Palestinians have locally elected authorities and local police and other institutions, he said.

But Azerbaijan first wants to get assurances that it will have full sovereignty over Karabakh and that Karabakh will have no territorial autonomy, and only then will negotiate over special accommodations and a potential limited, “technical” international role in guaranteeing them, Ahmadzada said. 

“The rejection of international involvement is more of a bargaining chip in the negotiations. It seems that the main calculation is to set the bar too high so there is a space left for maneuvering and backpedaling in the later stages,” Ahmadzada said. He nevertheless characterized the Palestine and Croatia examples as “optimistic” outcomes. “Although I still don't believe this is the [Azerbaijani] calculation, the risk of an all-out exodus is real.”

Tellingly, Azerbaijani readouts of the Brussels meeting ignored the question of the Karabakh Armenians’ rights and security, instead highlighting progress made on other issues like Armenian acknowledgment of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh, transportation networks, and border delimitation. 

But since then there have been efforts from Baku to circumscribe the significance of Michel’s reference to the international community’s involvement, underscoring the sensitivity of the issue.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on May 15 taking issue with comments made by the EU ambassador to Armenia on Michel’s statement; the ambassador reportedly went a step further than had the European Council president and said that "the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh must be ensured" and for this purpose, an "international mechanism" must be created. (Eurasianet could not independently verify that those were the ambassador’s words.)

The foreign ministry statement said the ambassador’s comments amounted to “an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan” and were “unacceptable.” 

“Azerbaijan's efforts to establish a dialogue with the Armenian residents in the aforementioned direction must not be hindered, prejudices against our territorial integrity and sovereignty must be ceased,” the statement said. 

An article in the website Caliber.az, associated with Azerbaijan’s defense ministry, took issue with the common interpretation of Michel’s mention of the “international community” and parsed the sentence to argue that it in fact limited the international involvement to the development of the positive agenda, not to the guarantee of Armenians’ rights and security.

The question of the rights and security of Karabakh Armenians “remains the outstanding, the most important, and the most problematic issue between the sides,” said Tigran Grigoryan, the head of the Yerevan think tank Regional Center for Democracy and Security, in an interview with Civilnet following the Brussels meeting. “This is a clear red line for both sides. Armenia cannot sign any kind of peace treaty while there is no agreement on the creation of this international mechanism of talks between Baku and Stepanakert, and Baku can not accept international involvement because that would nullify all of its postwar narratives,” i.e. that the conflict is resolved and any Karabakh issues are purely domestic.

“The mediators will try to bridge the differences but I’m not too optimistic about that, I don’t think that a solution will be found and it is more likely that Azerbaijan will resort to the use of force again to impose solutions on Armenia,” Grigoryan said. 

Pashinyan, Aliyev, and Michel are slated to meet again in Chisinau on June 1, along with the leaders of France and Germany. Michel also said that he and the Caucasus leaders were planning to meet again in Brussels in July.

Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.

https://eurasianet.org/as-armenia-azerbaijan-diplomacy-advances-a-solution-to-karabakh-remains-elusive 

Alen Simonyan calls on the CSTO member states to express a clear position without biased political preferences

Liana Toganian

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 18:28,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. On May 18, the delegation led by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan took part in the Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA) in Minsk, ARMENPRESS was informed from the parliament of Armenia.

Before the session, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with the heads of the delegations of the Member States. The President of Belarus spoke about the necessity of the formation of the new system of the international relations which will be based on the universally recognized norms and principles of the international law. “Minsk intends to work in raising cohesion of the CSTO States. The strengthening of the organization, the ensuring of security in its zone of responsibility is possibly existing after the solutions of contradictions,” he said.

After the meeting the heads of parliaments laid a wreath and flowers at the Victory Square in memory of those fallen in the Great Patriotic War.

The speech by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan at the Council Meeting of the CSTO PA is fully presented:

“Dear Vyacheslav Volodin,

Dear Vladimir Andreychenko,

Participants of the Collegial Meeting,

I welcome everybody at the Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

I thank you, Vladimir Pavlovich and our Belarus colleagues for warm reception and the organization of the Assembly events.

I also welcome the new Secretary General of the organization Tasmagambetov and wish him effective work in his responsible post.

Colleagues,

I would like to mention with satisfaction that the works continue by the Parliamentary Assembly on legally supporting the activity of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, elaboration of the proposals regarding the coordination of the legislative activity of national parliaments aimed at the implementation of the goals and problems of the organization. There is no need to enumerate all elaborated proposals, the model laws and statements which refer to all poles of the CSTO activity.

It is also important to understand to what extent we are adoptive to common problems. And when we speak about the positive experience of our work, we should clearly remember that the mutual respect, the aspiration of taking into consideration each other’s interests, the elaboration of consensus approaches, the support of the allies in complicated situation for reaching concrete results is the basis, on which our organization is built.

Colleagues,

The Council Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly takes place in a period, when we stand before serious threats and challenges of the security. The world is at a crossroad of hard geopolitical events and transformations, which have irreversible consequences for many countries. And the zone of responsibility of the Collective Security also is not an exception.

It is known what events happened last year, and now I would like to provide information about the situation in the South Caucasus. The situation is rather tense. Despite all agreements, Azerbaijan continues the policy of threatening the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, heats the situation up on the border with Armenia, in Nagorno Karabakh and in the Lachin Corridor.

After the illegal false-environmental blocking of the Lachin Corridor for 5 months, at the end of April Azerbaijan already officially blockaded Nagorno Karabakh. The decision of Baku on setting up a checkpoint in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the Lachin Corridor is a gross violation of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and decision having legal compulsory force of the UN International Court of Justice in February of this year.

It’s almost half a year that 120.000 Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh live in full blockade, in conditions of acute shortage of first necessity goods, medicine. Time and again the authorities of Azerbaijan restrict the move of the International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles and the movement of the ill people through the corridor.

In the context of the abovementioned, the real targeted statements and steps by the allies and colleagues, according to the restoration of the regime of the Lachin Corridor operation in accordance with the obligations of the trilateral statement and the principles of the international law, in the conditions of security and protection from illegal actions for regulating the life of Nagorno Karabakh are important for us.

Colleagues,

We follow the attempts of destroying the Armenian rich culture and eliminating the traces of Armenian identity by Azerbaijan. It is important to mention that the UN International Court of Justice also approved the availability of the threat of causing irreversible damage to the Armenians’ rights within the framework of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

Until now Baku rejects returning Armenian prisoners of war and the civilians being held as hostages conducting mock trials against them.

Colleagues,

I will refer to the process of regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

We repeatedly stated about readiness of Armenia on signing peace treaty and reciprocally recognizing the territorial integrity. However, Azerbaijan continues taking aggressive position.

A few days ago, the armed forces of Azerbaijan once again opened fire by using mortars and artillery to the direction of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, because of which there are casualties and wounded. Such development of the situation proves that the instigated coordinated provocations are aimed at disrupting the negotiating active processes for imposing pressure on Armenia. Such thing also happened yesterday.

During last three years, as a consequence of creeping military occupation tactics and wide-scale military operations by Azerbaijan against territorial integrity of Armenia, about 150km2 of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, which is the zone of responsibility of the CSTO was illegally occupied.

We regret that in our organization there is no common assessment to the fact of Azerbaijan’s aggression towards the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and the anti-legal presence of the invaded Azerbaijani armed forces on the internationally recognized territory of Armenia. In the context of the CSTO Observation Mission on the border with Azerbaijan, it was underlined that in order to have the mission effective for the country and the whole region, it is necessary to specify the zone of responsibility of the CSTO. The ambiguity of the colleagues’ positions is amazing, when there are undeniable facts of violations of internationally recognized borders of Armenia.

During our previous meeting also I warned my colleagues about the destabilizing perspectives of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan. Baku shows contempt to the international colleagues, with the presence and mediation the official Baku recognized the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and assumed obligations also on the basis of Alma-Ata declaration in demarcation between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Dear colleagues,

The establishment of peace in the region is the goal that pursues the Republic of Armenia. And the basis of stable peace, security and stable development of the region can only be the open and constructive dialogue. Since the past year Armenia and Turkey began regulation process of relations, but there are still no tangible results, and still many issues remain unsolved. We think that the regulation process should be without preconditions.

Concluding my speech, I would like once again to stress the importance of making diplomatic efforts. I call on all my colleagues who are interested in peace and stability of the present region, who have close relationship with Azerbaijan, to take practical steps on eliminating the violations of the international law and excluding the use of force. All these challenges require from all CSTO Member States to solve the existing issues through the use of the whole toolset of the organization, and the most important thing – to express clear positions on them without biased political preferences and priorities. If we are not able to do it together, tomorrow such challenges can arise for each of the CSTO Member State.

The peaceful development of the region has no alternative.

Thank you for attention.”

AW: 2023 Armenian Night at the Pops to feature violinist Eva Aronian

Liana Toganian
 Guest Contributor Music, Announcements 0

BOSTON, Mass. – The Friends of Armenian Culture Society will present the 70th annual Armenian Night at the Pops on Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m. at Boston’s majestic Symphony Hall.

This year, Boston-educated violinist Eva Aronian will appear as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra. She will join the orchestra and music director Keith Lockhart in a performance of the violin concerto by Aram Khachaturian (3rd movement), marking the 120th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Rick Steves

The program for the evening, titled A Symphonic Journey, will feature travel authority and writer Rick Steves, who will team up with the Boston Pops for a performance that combines Europe’s most stirring Romantic era anthems with beautiful high-definition cinematography and Steves’ insights into European history.

Eva Aronian

Praised as an artist “balancing emotional weight and technical virtuosity […] conveying the music’s power with a persuasiveness matched by few” (Culture Spot LA), Aronian, a Canadian-Armenian, is in high demand as a chamber musician, orchestral musician and soloist across the world. Her performances have brought her to Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia) and the Maison Symphonique (Montreal), among others. She is the recipient of top prizes at the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artists Competition, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal Competition and the Canadian Music Competition. She has performed as a soloist with the Calgary Civic Symphony, Orchestra Philharmonic de Bacau and the Brookline Symphony Orchestra. She began her position as principal second violin of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2021. 

Aronian earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory (NEC) in 2017 and 2019 respectively, under the tutelage of Donald Weilerstein; she was his teaching assistant from 2017-2018. During her time at NEC, she was also an intern for Music for Food, a musician-led initiative founded by Kim Kashkashian to help fight hunger in local communities through chamber music concerts. She received her artist diploma with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2021 with David Takeno. 

Tickets for this concert are available online.




Preserving Armenian Language and Culture at Watertown High School

Liana Toganian
 Pauline Getzoyan Community News 0

Siran Tamakian next to her wall of fame

WATERTOWN, Mass.—Siran Tamakian has been teaching at Watertown High School for 23 years. Since the retirement of longtime Armenian language teacher Anahid Yacoubian in 2009 after nearly four decades at the high school, Tamakian has carried the torch and kept Western Armenian alive for Watertown’s students, in addition to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).

The survival of the Armenian language program is in peril again, after having faced elimination several times over the years. Tamakian will retire from teaching at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. That means the school needs to fill the void, not only in ESL, but even more urgently with the Armenian class.

When Tamakian took over as Armenian teacher, Yacoubian had been teaching four periods of varying levels of Armenian. The school approved Tamakian’s added role with the stipulation that she would only teach one period that included all levels of students. “It was very chaotic,” Tamakian told the Weekly during a recent visit to Watertown High School, but they persevered and Armenian has continued to be taught at the high school for a dwindling population of Armenian students.

At one time, the student body was about 75-percent Armenian. Today, there are about 100 students who identify as Armenian in a population of 716 students. Additionally, Watertown Middle School no longer offers the Armenian language, which has resulted in fewer students choosing the language at the high school level.

All of this deeply concerns Tamakian. “When I retire next June, I’m really worried about what’s going to happen. I’m sure they’re not going to continue it,” she told the Weekly. This prompted her to offer the school a temporary solution until they can find an Armenian language teacher to replace her. During her first year post-retirement, Tamakian has said that she is willing to go to the high school every day to teach the one period of Armenian. With the class periods being organized in blocks, it will be a little challenging for scheduling, but she says it’s worth it. “It’s fine to do for a year if it will help the kids to finish their three years of a language with Armenian,” Tamakian said. 

There’s no guarantee that the school will accept her offer, so she feels community members will need to call on the school committee to demand the continuation of Armenian language classes at Watertown High School. It’s been done before with the help of the local Armenian National Committee.

Watertown High School remains the only public high school in the US that offers Armenian language class; there are several private and Armenian high schools around the country that include the language. Since Western Armenian has been deemed endangered by UNESCO, and Watertown High School is certified to teach it, Tamakian feels an urgency for the classes to continue at the school. 

Not only is Western Armenian taught, but like those before her, Tamakian’s class also includes history and culture, which brings us to the next icon that could be lost after her retirement, if not sooner: the Armenian Wall of Fame.

Watertown High School’s Wall of Fame upon entering the school

Tamakian began the wall of fame not long after she took over as Armenian teacher. She remembers seeing a post on Facebook that named about 10 Armenians famous for various accomplishments. “I should make a list myself,” she thought, and the wall of fame was born. Over the years, the wall, which snakes down the hall near the entrance to the high school, has grown to include about 100 individuals of distinction, along with posters designed by the students to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. She said that the Armenian Weekly has long been her primary source for names and information.

The US map of states recognizing the Genocide

At one time, she and her students began filling in the states that had recognized the Genocide on a US map – a map that is now completely filled. As we walked along perusing the people on the wall, the names and faces of Watertown High School graduates appeared, along with a Rhode Island connection, which led to wistful nostalgia for both of us.

A Rhode Island connection

Tamakian hangs the posters and accompanying information in time for the Genocide remembrance in April and keeps them up until the first week of May. This year was bittersweet as she dismantled the display and boxed it up, as she is unsure if there will be room for the wall of fame next year.

Watertown High School graduate

Watertown High School is scheduled to be rebuilt. At the end of this school year, the current building, originating in 1925, will be torn down to make way for a new school. In the meantime, a temporary school, in the form of modular pods, is being built near the middle school at Moxley Field. The plan is for the temporary structure to be used for three academic years until the new high school building is completed in its current location.

Watertown High School graduate

With the limited space in the temporary location, teachers will be sharing classrooms, and Tamakian is afraid she won’t be able to display the wall of fame for her last year before retirement. The posters create interest with the students and teachers. One social studies teacher recently brought students to view the wall and asked them to find three scientists or three entrepreneurs. Right now, Tamakian’s students are working on slideshow presentations about some of the famed individuals. She selected about 30 from the extensive list, and the students chose several to research and “get to know a little better.” 

Tamakian’s Armenian class and wall of fame introduce her students to both the language and Armenians who have had an impact on the global community, instilling a sense of pride and inspiring possibilities in their own lives.

Anyone wishing to raise their voice in support of continuing the Armenian language program at Watertown High School may email Tamakian, whose full name is Sonia Siran, at [email protected].

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Editor
Pauline Getzoyan is editor of the Armenian Weekly and an active member of the Rhode Island Armenian community. A longtime member of the Providence ARF and ARS, she also is a former member of the ARS Central Executive Board. A longtime advocate for genocide education through her work with the ANC of RI, Pauline is co-chair of the RI branch of The Genocide Education Project. In addition, she has been an adjunct instructor of developmental reading and writing in the English department at the Community College of Rhode Island since 2005.


EU and UNDP project raises awareness on danger of landmines and explosive artillery in Armenia

Liana Toganian

The EU-funded project organised a series of landmine and explosive hazard awareness activities in Armenia in April. ‘Strengthening National Mine Action Capacities in Armenia’ is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia.

The series of events began with the discussion on the National Mine Action Strategy for 2023-2027 and the operational plans of the State in this field.

The Union of Artists of Armenia then hosted an art exhibition entitled ‘Art against Mines’, which presented paintings by children from mine-affected communities in Armenia. The exhibition highlighted the importance of mine risk education and humanitarian mine action in the affected regions and communities, while introducing visitors to the challenges faced by children living in mine-affected areas. 

The events concluded with an interactive training session on first aid/medical assistance in emergencies, with simulation exercises. This was organised in partnership with the Armenian Red Cross Society for the staff of the Armenian Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE). The training provided CHDE staff dealing with landmines and explosive artillery in their daily activities with practical, up-to-date and crucial knowledge and skills.

Find out more

Press release

https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/eu-and-undp-project-raises-awareness-on-danger-of-landmines-and-explosive-artillery-in-armenia/

Number of wounded Armenian troops reaches 4

Liana Toganian

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 10:33,

YEREVAN, MAY 11, ARMENPRESS. The number of wounded Armenian troops in the May 11 Azeri attack has reached 4, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported.

The wounded troops are in non-life threatening condition.

As of 10:25 the tension in the direction of Sotk was reducing.

The situation was relatively stable in other parts of the border as of 10:25.

The Azerbaijani military has been shelling Armenian positions near Sotk since 06:00, May 11.

Armenpress: Positions on some key issues remain divergent – MFA on Armenia-Azerbaijan talks

Liana Toganian

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 00:13, 5 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov held negotiations on May 1-4 in Arlington, VA, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

The Ministers were hosted in George Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center. While in Washington they met with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

The Ministers shared their views on the current situation and stated their positions on existing issues related to normalization of relations.

The Ministers and their teams advanced mutual understanding on some articles of the draft bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations, meanwhile acknowledging that the positions on some key issues remain divergent.

Both Ministers expressed their appreciation to the US side for hosting negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The parties agreed to continue the discussions.

Pashinyan could meet Putin next week

Liana Toganian

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 13:44, 5 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Plans to hold a meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are being discussed as the Armenian leader is to visit Moscow next week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.

“Let’s not get ahead, some plans are being discussed,” Peskov told reporters when asked whether Pashinyan and Putin could hold talks next week. “We will issue a corresponding statement depending on how the discussions will end. It’s still early [to tell],” Peskov said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his upcoming Russia visit on May 4 in Prague.

Sports: European Championships: Three Armenian wrestlers reach quarter-finals

Liana Toganian
Panorama
Armenia –

Three Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers have advanced to the quarter-finals of the European Wrestling Championships being held in Zagreb, Croatia.

World and European champion Malkhas Amoyan crushed his opponent 10-0 in the 1/8 finals, the Armenian Wrestling Federation said.

The other two athletes who qualified for the quarter-finals are Vigen Nazaryan and David Ovasapyan.

Rudik Mkrtchyan and Hrachya Poghosyan from Armenia are set to start their performances in the quarter-finals.

PM Pashinyan highlights need for international system of guarantees in possible peace treaty with Azerbaijan

Liana Toganian

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 13:38,

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The possible peace treaty with Azerbaijan must include a relevant system of guarantees that would maintain the terms of the treaty, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters in parliament on April 20.

At the same time, he said that in the present-day international situation no country can clearly guarantee anything, including in relation to its security.

Asked why Armenia should sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan if even international guarantees are no guarantees, Pashinyan said: “First of all it’s not yet a fact that we will sign [it]. I hope and I am ready to sign within the framework of the issues that I have raised. And if we are signing, then we are signing it because without doing so it is guaranteed that everything will be the way we don’t want it to be. While by signing it the probability that it won’t happen that way increases significantly,” PM Pashinyan said, explaining that possible negative developments in the event of not signing a treaty will be worse than the possible negative developments in the event of signing it.

The Armenian Prime Minister added that Azerbaijan is now in euphoria and is making provocative statements seeking to make Armenia give in to these provocations.

Pashinyan said that the April 19 statement by the foreign ministry is a response to these provocative statements and that he himself will respond when needed.