Wednesday, October 26 2022 18:36

ArmInfo. The Armenian side received an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan  on October 31 in Sochi. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this  on October 26 during a government hour in the RA National Assembly,  answering a question from Sarkis Khandanyan, MP from the ruling  "Civil Contract" faction.

<I confirmed my participation in the meeting. As for the  participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, I do not have  relevant information at this stage>, the Prime Minister said. 

He recalled that the last meeting in this format was held in November  last year. As the head of government continued, expectations from the  new meeting should be considered in the context of the developments  that have taken place since the November meeting.

 <It would be possible to return to the results of the tripartite  statement of November 9, 2020, but one thing is clear: too many  issues have accumulated on which views should be exchanged and  proposals made. The agenda of these meetings is known to everyone:  from ensuring peace and security in Nagorno-Karabakh to the situation  on the borders of Armenia. In March of this year, the armed forces of  Azerbaijan invaded the zone of responsibility of Russian  peacekeepers, and the absence of a reaction on their part is  incomprehensible to the Armenian side. Also, at different levels,  statements are made by the Azerbaijani side about some corridors,  which are being developed in some circles in Moscow for unknown  reasons, despite the earlier statements by the President of the  Russian Federation, signed documents, statements by the Russian  Foreign Ministry and statements made by the Russian Deputy Prime  Minister>, the head of the Armenian government noted. .

He noted that in a statement dated November 26 last year, the parties  agreed to take measures to increase the level of security on the  Armenian-Azerbaijani border and start the work of commissions to  delimit the border. Then official Yerevan announced the need to form  security mechanisms, and only after that to start a substantive  conversation about the delimitation and demarcation of borders.

And at the same time, some Russian partners argued that the process  of starting the work of the commission itself should bring elements  of security. The Armenian side, Pashinyan stressed, did not share  this point of view, nevertheless trying to show flexibility in order  to break the deadlock. However, after the formation of delimitation  commissions, the country faced new aggression from Azerbaijan on  September 13. "I am surprised that those of our Russian partners who  spoke about the work of the commissions as an element of security  have not yet given clear comments on this aggression," Pashinyan  said.  He expressed hope for active discussions in Sochi on all these  issues, including in a bilateral format with Russian President  Vladimir Putin.