Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday said that despite the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Baku is creating artificial obstacles to delay the process.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili, in Tbilisi, Mirzoyan reiterated his long-standing claim that “realistically” a peace agreement can be concluded and “within a month” through intensive negotiations.
“We are seeing that new, I can say with confidence, artificial obstacles are being created to delay the process, but we continue to believe that there is a historical opportunity to establish long-term peace in the region,” Mirzoyan said.
While continuing to emphasize the need for a new Armenian Constitution as a precondition to the signing of a peace agreement with Armenia, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan put forth new approaches to the process, by suggesting an initial agreement on the “main principles,” in what seems to be another stall tactic by Baku.
“I believe we can finalize the text of the peace agreement, or at least its main principles, within a few months,” Aliyev said earlier this week during a meeting with Canada’s new ambassador to Azerbaijan Kevin Hamilton on Monday, according to the Turan news agency.
He introduced this new option, saying that if the principles are agreed on, then the actual text can be developed, mimicking the pattern adopted under the OSCE Minsk Group conflict resolution process where the sides agreed to the so-called Madrid Principles, without fleshing out their actual specifics.
“Reaching an agreement on the basic principles, initializing them, and then working on the text” can be an option, Aliyev said emphasizing that such an approach may be pursued “if Armenia amends its constitution.”
The main condition for the peace agreement, Aliyev told the newly-appointed Canadian ambassador, is the amendment of the Armenian Constitution, reasserting his threat and precondition for advancing the process.
During the press conference on Wednesday, Mirzoyan also discussed the benefits of opening transit routes in the region, saying that Yerevan has introduced a constructive proposal and is committed to this process.
Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Minister, welcomed what he called a “historic decision” for Armenia and Azerbaijan to begin the process of delimiting and demarcating their borders.
“Georgia firmly supports stability and peaceful coexistence in the South Caucasus. We are ready to continue our contribution and promote constructive dialogue and ensure peace and stability in the region within the needs of our neighbors and our capabilities,” Darchiashvili said.
He added that Tbilisi and Yerevan greatly support and respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
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