Thursday, July 15 2021 13:49

ArmInfo.The actions of Azerbaijan are a challenge to international law and all those forces that are interested in establishing peace and stability in the  region. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during a  meeting of the Armenian government. 

"What we expected happened after the election. We knew that it is  highly likely that, together with statements of a peaceful nature in  the international arena, Azerbaijan will do everything to prevent the  establishment of peace in the region, '' he said. A similar tactic of  the Azerbaijani authorities, according to the acting Prime Minister,  pursues the only goal - to show that Armenia or Artsakh is against  peace, against the processes of demarcation and delimitation, and  against this background will create false grounds for an aggressive  policy, the manifestations of which have been visible in recent days  and months.

At the same time, he recalled that the working group formed at the  level of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan  is pursuing a constructive and effective policy towards opening  regional communications. However, the incomprehensible statements of  Azerbaijan about the Zangezur corridor, according to Pashinyan, have  nothing to do with the activities of the working group, and what is  important, with the content of the trilateral statement of January  11, which explains how paragraph 9 of the statement of November 9,  2020 should work.

"Azerbaijan makes similar statements about the Zangezur corridor in  order to disrupt the activities of the working group and prevent the  opening of regional communications in order to continue the process  of the 30-year blockade of Armenia," he said.

In this context, Pashinyan stated that Armenia will continue to work  in the trilateral group with the support of international partners in  the direction of opening regional communications and deblocking  Armenia.  "Azerbaijan wants to show that Armenia is against the  processes of delimitation and demarcation of borders. But the  situation is the opposite. Because they show fake maps to justify the  presence of their troops on the sovereign territory of Armenia, in  particular on the Sotk-Khoznavar section>, he said. Both the  international community and Armenia expressed their position,  according to the head of government, as follows:  "Azerbaijan must  withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia, in  addition, Armenian and Azeri troops will be equally removed to the  places of permanent deployment  and a Russian peacekeeping contingent  and / or international observers will be deployed on the border,  as well as preparation and start of the delimitation and  demarcation process with the participation of international  representatives will take place."

Armenia, in his words, is ready to continue the process of peaceful  settlement of the Karabakh process within the framework of the  proposed format and content specified in the statement of the OSCE  Minsk Group co-chairs dated April 13.

"It would be good if the Azerbaijani authorities, instead of  unconstructive actions and statements, expressed a clear position  regarding the statement of the co-chairs. If we add to these  provocative statements regarding the territorial integrity of  Armenia, it becomes obvious which country is hindering peace and  stability in the region, "Pashinyan said.

Despite this, Armenia, as continued by the acting Prime Minister, by  all possible and impossible means will defend its sovereignty and  territorial integrity, including the joint Armenian-Russian military  group, and using the mechanisms of the CSTO, about which negotiations  with partners are ongoing.

At the same time, he raised the issue of Armenian prisoners of war  who have not yet returned home.  Pashinyan recalled that thanks to  cooperation with partners, to date, 104 prisoners  of war have been  returned. "We continue this work, as well as efforts towards a  comprehensive settlement of the Karabakh issue, delimitation and  demarcation of borders, opening regional communications, which is our  priority," he said.