Deputy FM: Armenia sees opportunities for reconciliation between Yerevan and Baku
ArmInfo.Negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been conducted in a bilateral format for a long time. Third countries only provide their support to the negotiation process for a peace agreement. Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan stated this in a conversation with journalists on November 7.
"I think our public is aware of which partners are interested in peace in the South Caucasus," the deputy minister added, refusing to name the countries. At the same time, Kostanyan assured that the negotiation agenda does not include the issue of amending the provisions of the Constitution of Armenia. According to him, this issue is not being discussed within the framework of the negotiation process on a peace agreement. When asked by journalists why Baku continues to demand changes to the main law of the Republic of Armenia and its demilitarization after the joint Armenian-Azerbaijani meetings, Kostanyan could not provide a clear explanation, only repeating that these topics are not on the agenda of the talks.
"Armenia has proposed mechanisms to strength confidence-building measures, including mutual control, as well as a proposal for a simultaneous withdrawal of troops," the deputy minister added. Kostanyan also pointed out that there are currently no finalized agreements on the draft peace treaty. When asked if the positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan have become closer after Baku sent Yerevan the 11th version of the draft peace treaty, the deputy minister noted that there are still unresolved issues, but the Armenian side sees opportunities for reconciliation.
He also informed about the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, without specifying the exact date. Additionally, he emphasized that the Armenian side is keen on increasing the frequency of meetings to expedite the finalization of the peace treaty text. When asked if it is possible to infer from the words of the Turkish MFA head Hakan Fidan regarding the normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan after the conclusion of the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia that Ankara is linking the normalization with Yerevan to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process, Kostanyan noted that there are real opportunities to implement the agreements and fully normalize relations with Turkey.
When asked why there has been no progress in the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, Kostanyan noted that the negotiations are ongoing and their ultimate goal is to establish diplomatic relations and fully unblock the borders. "Unfortunately, to this day it has not been possible to implement the agreements already reached regarding the opening of borders for citizens of third countries. However, the discussions are ongoing, we constantly signal to our Turkish partners that the implementation of the agreements will have a positive impact on the Armenian-Azerbaijani process," Kostanyan said. When asked about the inclusion of a clause on unblocking borders in the peace treaty, he replied that such a clause doesn't currently exist, but discussions on this matter are ongoing. "We have informed the public that the deputy prime ministers of the two countries also addressed this issue following the meeting of the delimitation commission," Kostanyan concluded.
Touching on Baku's hysterics regarding arms acquisitions, the diplomat recalled that all purchases are intended to enhance the country's defense capability and security, rather than being targeted at any specific third party.