RA Foreign Minister: Based on what we are hearing, peace may be at risk because of Azerbaijan

ArmInfo. A peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan sounds very good, but in reality, so far, we have managed to complete the draft of the agreement. This was stated by RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in an interview with Correio Braziliense, one of the major daily newspapers published in Brazilia.

He noted that the draft agreement contains a preamble and 17 articles. "After long negotiations, we managed to reach an agreement on the text. We immediately expressed, publicly, our readiness to begin consultations with our Azerbaijani counterparts to find a location and date to sign the peace agreement.  Unfortunately, what we hear from the Azerbaijani side sounds like this: "We agree with the text, but it is not enough for a peace agreement." It is also necessary to discuss a list of preconditions at the negotiating table to enable the signing of the peace treaty possible. These preconditions include amendments to the Constitution of Armenia and restrictions on the supply of ammunition and weapons to the Republic of Armenia. Interestingly, alongside with the negotiations surrounding the peace agreement, we presented other proposals to Azerbaijan, proposals, we believe would be mutually beneficial," the head of the RA Foreign Ministry said, adding that, for example, the Armenian side proposed creating a bilateral mechanism for arms control and verification.

There was no positive response from Azerbaijan. Mirzoyan emphasized that last week, Baku made false accusations that the Armenian armed forces violated the ceasefire along the border. Meanwhile, the EU Monitoring Mission, observing the situation along the border, has not identified any evidence of violations by Armenia. "We have asked Azerbaijan to provide any evidence or data, if any, regarding violations by our soldiers so that we can conduct an investigation. . We have also proposed opening up communications, transportation, and infrastructure. They need to use our railways to connect two parts of  their country. But they can also use the railway infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia to connect to Turkey, the Mediterranean Sea, etc. Based on a preliminary exchange of our proposals and ideas, we could gain mutual access to Azerbaijan's railway infrastructure.  No positive response. Yes, we  agreed on the draft of the agreement, but they came with preconditions and did not respond  to the other proposals we made, which could bring true and lasting peace to the South Caucasus."

Answering the question of whether the peace treaty is at risk, Mirzoyan noted that Armenia is fully committed to the peace agenda. "We have no intention, no reason, no motivation to start another war  and escalate the situation. There is  positive news: the completion of negotiations and the draft peace treaty.  However, there is also worrying news. Yes, peace, based on what we are hearing from the Azeri side, may be at risk because of Azerbaijan," the Minister emphasized.