Pashinyan: Karabakh status should be subject of negotiations

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has commented o his recent meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, declaring that the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be the subject of negotiations.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, hosted Pashinyan and Aliyev for a continuation of their discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries on Wednesday, April 6.

In particular, Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to convene a joint border commission by the end of April, whose mandate will be to delimit the bilateral border between the two countries and ensure a stable security situation along, and in the vicinity of, the borderline.

Pashinyan told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the Armenian side considers the involvement of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs "essential" and vowed to continue working in that direction.

He confirmed that the proposals consisting of 5 points presented by Azerbaijan acceptable for Yerevan, but said they do not complete the peace agenda.

"Guarantees for the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, protection of their rights and freedoms, as well as clarification of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh are of fundamental importance for us," Pashinyan said, adding that these issues are included in the Armenia's response to Azerbaijan and should be the subject of negotiations.

The Armenian PM revealed that Azerbaijan's incursion into the Nagorno-Karabakh village of Parukh and the heights nearby were also on the table Wednesday, but added that the discussion "did not lead to a joint assessment of the situation." According to him, the matter should be discussed with the participation of the Russian side.