ArmInfo. Negotiations in the direction of de-occupation of Artsakh, the very achievement of the return of the territories captured by Azerbaijan during the 44-day war to Artsakh are possible only in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group. The chairman of the European Party of Armenia, Tigran Khzmalyan, expressed such opinion to ArmInfo.
"The mediation of the United States and France as co-chairs of the Minsk Group in the settlement is the only way in this direction, taking into account the actual suspension of Russia's own participation in this format. In this light, I would like to note the recent call of the OSCE Minsk Group Co - Chairs to start a political dialogue with the aim of achieving a comprehensive settlement of the conflict on the basis of well-known principles," he stressed.
In this context, Khzmalyan recalled the proposals of the co-chairs made in the first days of last year's war in October to start negotiations, to which Prime Minister Pashinyan responded by sending Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan to Moscow, who concluded a truce with Azerbaijan that lasted a couple of minutes. After that, it was Pashinyan who preferred Russian peacekeepers in response to US proposals to consider the option of deploying peacekeepers from the Scandinavian countries in the conflict region.
In this context, the EPA leader stressed that the MG has never given up trying to change the situation around the conflict. Moreover, it was the American and French co-chairs who tried for years to resolve the conflict taking into account the Armenian interests. And even today, in contrast to Moscow and Baku, they claim that the Artsakh issue is not resolved at all. And that it can only be resolved in accordance with and on the basis of international law.
Khzmalyan also recalled how earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin, without holding back, admitted to his own authorship of the text of the trilateral statement of November 9. He described the latter as Moscow's recognition of its own participation in the organization of the 44-day war, and, in fact, its shameful results both for Armenia and for Russia itself.
In this light, Khzmalyan described the statement made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on April 14 from the rostrum of the parliament that an attack on Armenia means an attack on Russia as absurd and distorting geopolitical realities. He expressed his conviction that by making such statements, the Armenian Prime Minister is showing unacceptable irresponsibility, since in this way he blocks all possible ways for Armenia to get out of the current situation.