Monday, May 15 2023 15:18

ArmInfo.We hope that both sides will withdraw their troops and will move on to work on delimitation  and demarcation, which is extremely important and clearly presented in the Almaty Declaration. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Europe to Armenia, Ms.  Andrea Wiktorin stated on May 15 during a press conference on Europe Day and the EU-Armenia relations.

<This is a work that implies additional steps as well. And we are  moving forward step by step,>  she said, recalling that in June the  parties will have a big meeting in Chisinau, and a number of  trilateral meetings are expected.

When asked by journalists to clarify what the withdrawal of troops  implies in the context of Armenia, since the latter are deployed on  the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, Wiktorin noted  that she repeats only what was said during the negotiations in  Brussels. "There are one or two spots where also Armenian forces are,  let's say, in the border region," the diplomat said. However Wiktorin  found it difficult to answer, which spots exactly she meant, noting  that she also bases on the negotiation process. Regarding the  schedule for demarcation and delimitation work, the head of the EU  mission stressed that everything depends on the progress of the  negotiations. 

At the same time, referring to the meeting in Brussels, Wiktorin  noted that the results also allow us to expect that in the coming  weeks detainees in Azerbaijan will be returned to the Armenian side.  <Of course, we have been working in the direction of the return of  prisoners for a long time. And President Charles Michel (Head of the  Council of Europe - ed. note) attached importance to mutual  understanding between the parties, noting that the work will continue  and these people will be released>, Wiktorin said.

On May 14 a trilateral meeting was held in Brussels between the  President of the Council of Europe Charles Michel, Armenian Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. 

According to Charles Michel's message, following the results of the  meeting, published on the website of the European Council, "the  exchange of views was frank, open and result-oriented."

It is noted that attention was focused on progress towards the  normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. < The leaders shared  a common willingness for a South Caucasus at peace. I commend their  respective efforts.  Together, we reviewed all issues on our agenda.  Following the recent positive talks held in the United States on the  peace treaty, the momentum should be maintained to take decisive  steps towards the signing of a c omprehensive peace agreement between  Armenia and Azerbaijan>, the head of the European Council said in a    statement.