Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed on mutual recognition of their territorial integrity. According to TASS’s report, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this on the sidelines of the EAEU summit.
On this basis, we are making good progress towards resolving our relations.”
Pashinyan also reminded that it is important to ensure the rights and security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) “within the framework of the international mechanism”. He also expressed his hope that “a normal, constructive dialogue will soon begin between Baku and Stepanakert (the capital of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (DRC)”).
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Baku no longer has any territorial claims against Armenia.
“There is a possibility of reaching a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, especially considering that Armenia officially recognizes Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.
According to him, there are serious prerequisites for the normalization of relations between the two states.
Clash at the summit
The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan also “arranged a confrontation at the EAEU summit in Moscow,” according to RIA Novosti. The reason for this was the term “Zangezur corridor” used by Aliyev – this term, according to Pashinyan, “serves to express territorial claims” against Armenia.
The Prime Minister recalled that the tripartite statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan refers only to one corridor – Lachin, which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh. In response, Aliyev stated that the corridor between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Republic, which must pass through the territory of Armenia, is not an encroachment on its territory.
“I want to say these [территориальных] claims [к Армении] we do not have. <…> As for the word “corridor” I used, I used the same [его] Regarding the North-South corridor, the same word is used in relation to the East-West corridor. The name “corridor” in no way implies encroachment on one’s territory. It is an international term,” he said.
In addition, Pashinyan and Aliyev could not agree on the functioning of the Lachin corridor. The Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized that this corridor, in which Aliyev did not participate, was closed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the eve of a tripartite meeting with Pashinyan and Aliyev that he hopes to have a successful discussion and overcome contradictions.
“I hope we can agree on what is quite clear in the area of economic development interests for both Azerbaijan and Armenia and the entire region. It seems to me that we will have time to discuss all this in detail in a trio format.”
Putin stressed that the fundamental agreements reached between Baku and Yerevan on territorial integrity are also important. As a result, he added, consensus could be reached on secondary issues as well.
The President of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (DRC) Arayik Harutyunyan urged the Armenian authorities to refrain from any actions and statements “regarding the recognition of Artsakh as a part of Azerbaijan”.
“Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was not and will not be a part of Azerbaijan, because this is the will of our people who are determined enough to fight for their rights and interests. I am sure that the fighter is not alone and not only will all of Armenia continue to support our struggle, but will also be valuable supporters in the international arena. Yes, the situation is difficult but not hopeless, and the Artsakh authorities are taking and will continue to take possible practical steps against external and internal challenges,” he said.
He also refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan’s decision that Azerbaijan was ready to recognize the territorial integrity of the Karabakh territory.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that guarantees should be created to exclude “the continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide” against Armenians living in the region. He also added that Armenia is ready to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan, provided that the security of the Armenian population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is ensured.
“Intensive negotiations on the agreement to establish peace and relations with Azerbaijan are ongoing, and we hope to reach an agreement and sign the text as soon as possible,” Pashinyan said.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced that the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is inevitable soon.
“We believe that the signing of the peace agreement is inevitable and we are trying to make constructive efforts on our part to achieve this goal,” Aliyev said. The President of Azerbaijan emphasized that the peace agreement should include “international principles and norms”.
According to Nikol Pashinyan, the delimitation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border should be carried out according to the maps of the 1975 USSR General Staff of the Armed Forces.
“Maps can and should be the basis for containment work. This also refers to the agreement reached in Prague on October 6, 2022 on the recognition of each other’s territorial integrity and delimitation in accordance with the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.
According to Pashinyan, it is 86.6 thousand square meters. km. Azerbaijan lands (including Nagorno-Karabakh) are ready to recognize the Armenian authorities. Pashinyan added that the Armenian side is confident that Azerbaijan will recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia with an area of 29.8 thousand square meters. km.