Thursday, January 17 2019 11:55

ArmInfo. There are no such negotiations, on the results of which Armenia can make territorial concessions to Azerbaijan without a clear definition of the final  status of Artsakh, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, RA  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Arman Navasardyan  expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo, commenting on the Paris meeting  of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On January 16, with the mediation and participation of the OSCE Minsk  Group Co- Chairs Igor Popov, Stephane Visconti and Andrew Schofer the  meeting between Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, acting Foreign Minister of  Armenia, and Elmar Mammadyarov, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, took  place in Paris. Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the  OSCE Chairperson-in-Office also participated in the meeting. The  press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry described the  negotiations lasting for 4 hours as ''a useful and constructive  exchange of opinions, which is also aimed at establishing more mutual  understanding and mutual trust''. The interlocutors touched upon a  wide range of issues related to the peace process, including  preparing populations for peace, security and sustainable economic  development. The new dates for the next meeting are not yet voiced,  but according to some data it may take place in February. 

"Hope is the last to die. The form of the ministerial talks is, of  course, new, but the content is the same. All these talks, all the  observed activation are certainly a positive sign, but they lack the  most important thing - determining the status of Artsakh. Baku still  promises only the highest degree of autonomy, and we have already  passed through this, " the diplomat recalled.

In this light, Navasardyan does not expect anything new from the  observed intensification of the negotiation process, while assessing  its very fact quite positively, since certainly the meetings between  the ministers and the heads of state are needed. "At one time,  Cardinal Richelieu said that if you don't want war, then negotiations  should be held," noted the diplomat.

Baku still hopes for unilateral concessions by Armenia, however, all  such hopes, in his estimations, are groundless. Some forces in  Armenia announce an upcoming "sale of Artsakh" by new authorities in  Yerevan, forgetting about repeatedly voiced readiness to surrender  several regions of Artsakh by former President Serzh Sargsyan.   Navasardyan assesses such talks as complete nonsense, believing that  Armenia will never make unilateral concessions to Azerbaijan.   Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also hopes for some  concessions by Armenia," steps towards Azerbaijan "as a result of the  change of leadership in Yerevan. In my opinion, he hopes in vain,  since Yerevan has no opportunities and most importantly intention to  make unilateral concessions", the diplomat summed up.  On January 16,  the Russian Foreign Minister during a press conference attached to  the results of the previous year expressed Russia's readiness to  "assist in resolving the Karabakh conflict, which has already become  a decades-old one, but still quite solvable with the goodwill of  Yerevan and Baku, as well as with the support of the international  community." "I think that the statements on readiness to search for  solutions, including from Baku, deserve full support. We hope that  our Armenian friends will reciprocate," Lavrov said.