Meeting with U.S., EU not against third parties, says Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The high-level meeting of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan scheduled for April 5 in Brussels is dedicated to strengthening of the Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not and could not be directed against any third party, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan has said in written comments to Armenpress.

“As for Azerbaijan's accusations of destabilizing the situation in the region and the non-constructiveness of the Armenian side in the negotiation process, let me reaffirm that Armenia is ready for the immediate signing of the peace treaty, the border delimitation, and opening of regional communications based on the principles already agreed upon with Azerbaijan. We are speaking about the following three principles:

a) Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. This principle was agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022, in Prague, with the mediation of Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Charles Michel, President of the EU Council, then reiterated on May 14 and July 15, 2023, in Brussels with the mediation of Charles Michel, President of the EU Council.

b) The delimitation and demarcation process between the two countries is carried out based on the Alma-Ata Declaration. This principle was agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022, in Prague, with the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel, then reaffirmed on May 14 and July 15, 2023, in Brussels with the mediation of President of the EU Council Charles Michel. This means that instead of creating a new border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the borders that existed de jure within the USSR at the time of the adoption of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration should be replicated on the ground. Afterwards, the territories de jure belonging to each country must be under that country's control.

c) Unblocking regional communications, respecting the sovereignty and the jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass, based on the principle of equality and reciprocity. This principle was agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan on July 15, 2023, in Brussels with the mediation of President of the EU Council Charles Michel. Regarding this issue, the Republic of Armenia has expressed its willingness by developing the "Crossroads of Peace" project, which has been widely welcomed by the international community,” Badalyan said.

“Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side is delaying and undermining the peace process under various artificial pretexts, including continuously rejecting mediation proposals made by the EU and the US. Instead of complaining about inclusiveness, Azerbaijan could eventually accept the proposals to meet at the level of Foreign Ministers in Washington D.C., and at the level of heads of state in Brussels. Perhaps it would be also relevant to mention the continuous actions by Azerbaijan, the efforts towards excluding Armenia from regional projects, undermining the principle of inclusiveness in every possible way, a vivid example of which is reflected in hindering Armenia's participation in the Black Sea Submarine Cable project.”

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that Washington and Brussels’s “open pro-Armenian public position against the background of revanchist sentiments in Armenia can create a dangerous illusion in Yerevan that the EU and the United States will support it in the “next possible provocations against Azerbaijan”.