Sochi Statement Once Again Refutes Corridor Theories, Says Foreign Ministry

On November 26, the Sochi trilateral statement made several important clarifications in response to media inquiries, said Vahan Hunanyan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

First, the statement from Sochi reaffirms the parties' commitment to the consistent and unconditional implementation of all provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020. This also pertains to Azerbaijan's obligations, which remain unfulfilled regarding the return of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained individuals enshrined in the eighth point of the November 9 statement, as well as other commitments that have not been carried out.

Second, according to Hunanyan, the November 26 Sochi statement reaffirms the provisions for the unblocking of all transport routes and economic ties in the region, as recorded in the January 11 statement, and once again refutes the propaganda theories circulating about a “corridor” or corridor logic.

As a third important note, the spokesperson highlights that the statement indicates an agreement has been reached to take steps aimed at increasing the level of stability and security along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The primary and most important step in this regard must be the implementation of measures aimed at reducing tension.

“We are also convinced that the full implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statements will contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group,” stated the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

It should be noted that prior to the trilateral meeting in Sochi, Putin had a private conversation with Aliyev, which lasted three hours. Following the trilateral meeting, a private discussion took place between Putin and Pashinyan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a new trilateral meeting will take place next week, during which certain results of discussions will be presented and announcements regarding decisions made will be issued. It is also noted that Pashinyan and Aliyev have agreed to meet on December 15 in Brussels during the EU Eastern Partnership summit.