Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will hold trilateral talks in Sochi on Monday, October 31.
According to the Kremlin's press service, "it is planned to consider the implementation of the trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, and further steps to strengthen stability and security in the Transcaucasia." The agenda also includes a discussion of the restoration and development of trade, economic and transport ties.
The Kremlin added that separate talks between Putin and Pashinyan and Aliyev are also planned.
Russia's position
The meeting was initiated by the Russian side. As part of the preparations for the trilateral meeting, an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council was held on Friday, October 28. Putin then said that Moscow does everything possible to achieve a comprehensive normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. According to him, despite the fact that all countries are in a difficult situation, all are interested in Transcaucasia being a calm and stably developing region. The Russian leader emphasized that the only possible and realistic path to peace may be the one that is laid through the strict observance by the parties of all the provisions of the joint statements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021 and November 26, 2021. "It is through the consistent implementation of these agreements on the ways of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, unblocking transport communications, resolving humanitarian issues that a sustainable normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be achieved," Putin stressed, admitting that the only question is how to find solutions that will further allow to enter into a peace treaty as well.
Azerbaijan's position
In Azerbaijan, the upcoming trilateral meeting in Sochi has not been officially commented on. Nevertheless, the previously voiced statements of the country's leadership give an idea of the agenda Baku will promote at the talks.
Azerbaijan is in favor of the earliest possible start of work on the peace treaty with Armenia. During his recent visit to Georgia, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that "the time has come to sign a peace agreement". Baku urged Yerevan to take real steps in this direction and "not to drag out the process". Back in March of this year, Azerbaijan passed over to Yerevan proposals containing five basic principles for normalizing relations between the two countries. They include among others mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and political independence, confirmation of the absence of territorial claims to each other and the obligation not to present such claims in the future, the rejection of threats to use force. In addition, at the October 2 meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Geneva, Azerbaijan presented the main elements of the peace treaty to the Armenian side. Baku claims it has not yet received a response from Yerevan to these initiatives.
Azerbaijan is also determined to speed up border delimitation based on Soviet-era maps. At the same time, Baku believes that the issue should be resolved within the national commissions established by both sides, without involving external players. Azerbaijan, in particular, refused to place an EU civilian mission on its side of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, agreeing to cooperate with it insofar as it would concern Baku.
At the Sochi talks, the Azerbaijani side is expected to raise again the issue of unblocking communications in the region, including the opening of the Zangezur corridor, which should connect the main part of the country with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of Armenia. Baku stresses that this is one of the key points of the trilateral statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia on November 9-10, 2020, and insists that Yerevan must fulfill its obligations related to the provision of the corridor.
Armenia's position
The Armenian government has repeatedly stated that it is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan by the end of this year, but expects Baku to take effective steps to establish peace in the region. Particularly, Yerevan expects Baku to refuse "to discuss a corridor across Armenia to connect with Nakhchivan," which, according to the Armenian authorities, prevents the implementation of the trilateral statement of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Deputy Prime Minister of the republic Mher Grigoryan noted at the session of the heads of CIS states in Astana that in the statement of November 9, 2020, the term "corridor" is used only in connection with the Lachin corridor that provides security of the population and vital activity of Nagorno-Karabakh and has no relation to the issue of unblocking transport communications in the region".
Besides, Yerevan expects "Azerbaijani Armed Forces to leave the occupied territories of Armenia" occupied as a result of military operations in May 2021 and September 2022 and return to their initial positions. The Armenian PM has also repeatedly stated that after that Yerevan is ready to start works on the delimitation and subsequent demarcation of borders, which should be based on the basic documents of the CIS from 1991. Armenia also seeks to start a direct dialogue between the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan under the auspices of international organizations, which should ensure their rights, freedoms and security.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that Armenia agreed in early September to work on the basis of the basic principles and parameters for establishing interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan presented by the Russian Federation and was ready to confirm that in Sochi. He also expressed hope that Russia will support its proposals.
According to Pashinyan, he is ready to sign a document at the trilateral meeting in Sochi to extend the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh for 10, 15 or 20 years. "I suggest that the president of Russia come up with such an initiative. I can make this proposal myself, but the Russian side should support it," he said Saturday at a Civil Contract party congress, noting that he could not decide the issue of extending the mandate on his own because it was a trilateral document.
On trilateral agreements
The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, 2020, when active hostilities began there. On November 9, 2020, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint statement on the full cessation of hostilities in the conflict zone around Nagorno-Karabakh. To continue the settlement process, they met in Moscow on January 11, 2021. During that meeting, a new joint statement was signed, which, in particular, provided for the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region. At the same time it was agreed to establish a trilateral working group at the level of deputy prime ministers to address this and other tasks.
On November 26, 2021, the three leaders met again, this time in Sochi. They agreed to take steps to improve stability and security on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and also discussed the need for a bilateral commission to delimit the border with subsequent demarcation, with Russia expressing its readiness to provide consultative assistance at the request of the parties.
A new aggravation of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border occurred on the night of September 13, 2022. Clashes with the use of heavy weapons and UAVs resulted in numerous casualties. On September 15, 2022 by the decision of the CSTO Security Council a CSTO mission was sent to Armenia.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Mikhail Klimentiev / TASS
Based on materials from TASS