Artsakh top of agenda of Putin-Pashinyan talks - Alexander  Iskandaryan

ArmInfo.Artsakh was top of the agenda of the Putin-Pashinyan talks in Novo-Ogaryevo, Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, said in an interview  with ArmInfo.    

Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan was on an official visit to Russia,  April 19 and 20, accompanied by First Vice-Premier Mher Grigoryan,  Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, Foreign Minister  Ararat Mirzoyan and other officials. The Armenian and Russian leaders  approved a 30-point joint statement on various aspects of the  bilateral agenda.  

"We understand that Yerevan's cooperation with Moscow is developing  in the current situation, and it is not at all the situation in the  conflict zone alone that account for that. I think that at their  meeting in Novo- Ogaryovo the Armenian and Russian leaders discussed  a wide range of issues of diplomatic development and the latest  signals concerning the global situation, security and so on," Mr  Iskandaryan said. 

In this context, the Russian president's meeting with the Armenian  premier is an attempted step to stabilize the situation in Artsakh,  which seems quite logical in the context of the rather complicated  situation in Artsakh. It is of special importance amid the regular  skirmishes, which have been more frequent in the last few months. 

Mr Iskandaryan is sure the situation in Artsakh will not be  normalized soon as the conflict over Artsakh is a most complex and  protracted one. And the Artsakh problem is not Artsakh alone, but it  involves the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations - and even more. In any  case, with the pressure on Yerevan, Baku, Ankara - and on other  actors as well - Armenia's leadership is trying to rectify the  situation with Russia's help. 

"We are all witnessing some panic in Armenia over Atrsakh, and the  reason of Azerbaijan's demands for a peace agreement addressed to  Armenia, which implies Armenia recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial  integrity and, consequently, Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan," Mr  Ikandaryan said. 

He also points out much Yerevan's lesser opportunities for political  and diplomatic maneuvers as a result of the 44-day war - and these  opportunities are lessening due to the Ukraine developments, which,  in turn, was one of causes of incapability of the OSCE Minsk Group.  And if the 1994 status quo fails to be restored, conditions for a  future peace treaty with Azerbaijan that would be more or less  acceptable to Armenia and Artsakh could well be ensured. And the  Armenian premier is trying to do so, including during his visit to  Moscow, Mr Iskandaryan said.