Aivazyan Emphasizes the Importance of Artsakh's Status, Agrees with Popov

Armenia had previously agreed to the Kazan document, as it contained a comprehensive package of fundamental principles for the resolution of the conflict. This was stated by Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazyan during a conversation with reporters in the National Assembly, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's article and the comments of the OSCE Minsk Group's Russian co-chair Igor Popov.

Pashinyan, in his article "Roots of the 44-Day War," noted that the Russian proposals for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict did not address the status of Artsakh and only pertained to the return of seven regions to Azerbaijan. Popov denied this yesterday, stating that the Russian proposal for the resolution of the Artsakh issue included returning 5 regions to Azerbaijan in the first phase and 2 regions in the second phase, linking this process to the determination of the status of Artsakh.

“Even after Azerbaijan rejected the Kazan document, negotiations continued based on fundamental principles. During the war, Azerbaijan agreed to continue negotiations around the fundamental principles. I agree with Popov that the status of Artsakh has been a crucial principle in the resolution of the conflict. It has been and remains so,” said Aivazyan.

He added that the document of November 9, 2020, is not a document for resolving the conflict but rather a ceasefire agreement that includes several fundamental principles. The minister noted that the conflict cannot be considered resolved if all fundamental principles are not encapsulated, particularly the question of the status of Artsakh.

Aivazyan reminded that on December 3 of last year, the OSCE Minsk Group declared that negotiations should continue based on fundamental principles. Regarding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's claims that the issue of Artsakh's status was not included in the Kazan document, Aivazyan did not comment, stating that those remarks are taken out of context.