ArmInfo.The problem of returning Artsakh to the negotiation process will be solved sooner or later. This opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian Academy of Sciences, Academician Ruben Safrastyan.
"The return of Artsakh to the negotiation process today is the main problem of the negotiation agenda. And if Baku really wants to see the conflict finally resolved, they need to discuss this issue first of all with Stepanakert. Such a conclusion seems to be the most logically based.
Accordingly, Yerevan should not only continue to insist on its own position, but also find a new argument for its reinforcement, "the academician stressed.
In his opinion, in turn, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group should by all means help create an atmosphere conducive to real negotiations in a calm atmosphere. Safrastyan noted with regret the absence of such an atmosphere in the negotiations, stipulating its creation also by the return of the Artsakh people to the process.
Commenting on the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington, Safrastyan rated it quite positively. According to his estimates, even in the conditions of actual stagnation of the negotiation process on Artsakh, its preservation continues to be a necessity.
"Accordingly, we need to use all available resources to maintain the negotiation process. Moreover, it is necessary to work towards raising the process to a level consistent with international standards. This is certainly in the interests of Armenia. Even the most fruitless negotiations are always better than war. In this light, any meeting of the foreign ministers, top officials of Armenia and Azerbaijan can only be welcomed, "the academician concluded.
Starting from his very coming to power, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has affirmed the need for the return of the Artsakh leadership to the negotiating table. The Armenian Prime Minister explains this need with impossibility to represent the interests of the Artsakh people. Following the results of his last brief meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, the Armenian Prime Minister once again expressed his conviction to journalists that Artsakh should be returned to the negotiating table. Pashinyan also considered the refusal of Baku to negotiate with Stepanakert as the most important obstacle to the settlement of the conflict.