ArmInfo. The Armenian side has always considered the possibility of signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in the very near future to be real. Chairman of the RA Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan told reporters today.
According to him, Armenia will sign the agreement when it is confident that it fully corresponds to the national interests of the country. Yerevan is constructive on this issue, but it is necessary to keep in mind the principles stated by the Armenian side, which, with the consent of Azerbaijan, will serve as a good basis for concluding an agreement. One of these principles is mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of states. In this regard, a positive development is the joint statement of the offices of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which can serve as a good example for the further process. "Although the text of the statement mentions the intentions of the parties to support each other in joining international organizations, nevertheless, the statement is more of a humanitarian nature," Khandanyan noted.
He emphasized that Yerevan has always advocated holding meetings at the level of foreign ministers and heads of state with the participation of other states and international organizations. Khandanyan pointed, in particular, to the efforts being made by the United States to achieve agreement between the parties to sign a peace treaty. At the same time, he did not rule out that the United States could put pressure on Baku so that one such meeting could take place in Washington.
As for the initiatives of the Russian Federation, as the parliamentarian noted, Moscow did not propose specific dates for holding a meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. It is very important, Khandanyan continued, to ensure consistency in the negotiation process. He recalled the Prague, Washington and Brussels meetings, expressing the hope that they will continue, at least in order not to start the process from a new point.
Speaking about the upcoming early presidential elections in Azerbaijan, the head of the RA National Assembly Committee expressed the hope that this will not affect the negotiation process, and Baku will not look for new reasons to delay it.