Karabakh status key in Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, says Mirzoyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said that the determination of the status of Karabakh in the process of normalization of relations with Azerbaijan is key for the Armenian side.

"We published our vision of the peace process, and before that we said that in the points suggested by Azerbaijan there is nothing unacceptable for the Armenian side but these points do not address the whole agenda, the whole spectrum of the existing issues of the potential and expected peace treaty, Mirzoyan told reporters ahead of the session of Armenia-EU Partnership Council on Wednesday, May 18.

"For us, it is crucial to discuss the rights and the security of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. We also think that it is important to continue these negotiations on the peace treaty in the frame of and according to the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship."

Mirzoyan added that Yerevan hasn't heard a positive reaction from Baku so far.

"But you know that efforts are being made in order to have these negotiations possible. So I can only stress our readiness and our commitment to have peace and stability in our region. But we need two sides to have this," he said.

Armenia's Ambassador at-large Edmon Marukyan earlier published Yerevan's response to Azerbaijan's five-point proposal on normalization of relations between the two countries. Marukyan also revealed that at an April 6 meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Brussels, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reached an agreement can start negotiations on a peace agreement, based on Baku's five and Yerevan's six points.