Are the Delays in Meetings Due to Disagreements Between the Parties? Simonian Responds

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Alen Simonian, suggests that the delay in the meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington is due to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Baku.

When asked whether the postponement is due to disagreements between the parties, Simonian stated: “No, disagreements cannot be the reason because the process is not stalled; it is ongoing, and not only at one platform level.”

According to him, the meeting of the ministers will take place in the near future. Speaking about the disagreements regarding the unblocking of routes between the parties, the NA Speaker noted that these are technical issues: “There is a common understanding; these are technical problems. The issue concerns mobility within one state. The main red line in Azerbaijan's position is that they are not transferring from their country to a third country when traveling from Baku to Nakhchivan; they imply that we should think of another, simplified way of how to get to Meghri through the territory of Nakhchivan. The question is how much we need this road and how much they need it. We support the unblocking of all routes.”