MFA: The issue of status and security remains a priority for Armenia,  negotiations are underway around these principles

Արմինֆո.The issue of status and security remains a priority for Armenia, negotiations are underway around these principles. This was announced to journalists on January 28 by Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, referring to the 
results of the recent meeting with an Azerbaijani counterpart.

According to the Minister, the Armenian side pays special attention 
to all those circumstances that concern the formation of an 
environment conducive to peace. In particular, it concerns the 
formation of an atmosphere of trust. "We did not deviate from our 
statements.  I am sure that we have repeatedly heard that there was 
no deviation in the position when we emphasized the principles that 
relate exclusively to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, 
exclusively within the framework of the co-chairmanship of the OSCE 
Minsk Group. The most important thing is that for Armenia issues of 
status and security remain a priority. Negotiations are underway 
around this, "said Mnatsakanyan.

He noted that it is strange for him when statements on the 
preparation of societies for peace by some circles cause defeatism. 
"We never had defeatist moods and never will," he assured.  Touching 
on the involvement of Karabakh in the negotiation process, the 
Armenian Foreign Minister noted that this is consistent work. "This 
is a specific practical question. If something does not work right 
away, this does not mean that we have forgotten," said Mnatsakanyan.

The head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry is convinced that there is 
no alternative to peace. "The alternative to tpeace is a catastrophe. 
We will fight for peace, but this does not mean that we are making 
concessions," he added. Speaking about the possibility of signing a 
certain document, a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, 
Mnatsakanyan noted that the Armenian side is acting quite 
transparently.  At the same time, the Foreign Minister pointed out 
that the negotiations require some confidentiality, which is logical, 
the essence of the negotiations is as follows. "We didn't come up 
with such a mechanism. And if it was not stated that there is any 
document, then it doesn't exist. If there are such plans, the society 
will be aware of this," he noted.

Mnatsakanyan positively assessed the fact that the leaders of Armenia 
and Azerbaijan, while on the same platform, are holding informal 
meetings, as this helps them to better understand each other. At the 
same time, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan does not agree with the opinion that 
the negotiation process is at a standstill.  As the minister pointed 
out, Armenia does not refuse from the agreements reached in Vienna 
and St.  Petersburg on Karabakh. Moreover, as he pointed out, the 
agreements reached after the meetings of the heads of Armenia and 
Azerbaijan in Dushanbe were added to them. "These agreements were 
aimed at reducing risks. None of them was not excluded from the 
agenda. We were able to launch a mechanism that helped reduce risks," 
he concluded.