Naturally, we evaluate the refusal of Azerbaijan negative, we call on to return to more constructive, more effective field of discussions. The US, EU our colleagues definitely stand next to the agenda for peace, expressed their support to the agenda of peace, and we hope that by our international colleagues’ mediation also an opportunity will be created in the near future to create the platform, where Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to sit and to discuss in a constructive way the agenda for peace.
During the briefings following the NA regular sittings the Secretary of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Artur Hovhannisyan said this, answering the journalist’s question, which referred to another refusal by Azerbaijan to take part in the meeting scheduled at the level of Foreign Ministers in Washington.
“We don’t exclude anything, we advance in a constructive way with the agenda for peace and I am repeating that by our colleagues’ mediation and efforts it will be possible to advance in effective way and return Azerbaijan to a constructive field,” Artur Hovhannisyan added in response to the journalist’s other question, which related to the possibility of signing a peace treaty until the end of the year.
“The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan nervously reacted to the US responses and ended its statement approximately with this text that Azerbaijan has a right to use force for defending its territory. Don’t you see here simply a threat to the peace process and to Armenia?” the journalist asked, noting non-diplomatic language of Azerbaijan.
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“We see non-constructive approach, which in its turn can give birth to numerous problems and risks. And with this logic we move in a constructive way by the mediation and support of our international colleagues to return Azerbaijan to a table of negotiations with the agenda for peace of advancing in the constructive field. This is our policy, regarding your quoted sentence from text of Azerbaijan, which refers to defending the territorial integrity, I don’t see any strange thing and I don’t want to more thicken the colours. In fact, we move with the agenda for peace,” Artur Hovhannisyan said.
The deputy of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Gevorg Papoyan responded to this question, noting that the destructive positions of Azerbaijan may cause certain problems. “This is a diplomatic, hard, difficult work, and that work and the existing state imply that we should continue working in that direction in a way as we have done until now. What we have, the documents, the positions that we have, for example, a number of important colleagues, they give us an opportunity, in our opinion, to go on the way of signing a peace treaty. Are there obstacles? Certainly, there are. If they would not be, perhaps, it would be signed today. This is a process which has been continued for a long time. But at this moment also the position of Azerbaijan allows us concluding that our diplomacy and the foreign policy of our state in that aspect has gone in right direction until now,” the MP said.
A question was also raised about the statement made by the deputy of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Hayk Sargsyan a few days at the press conference that he designs to begin debates on raising the conscript age in Armenia. “Is that only Hayk Sargsyan’s opinion or the Faction agrees with him? the journalist asked.
Artur Hovhannisyan mentioned that any deputy is free make a legislative initiative, and the position of the faction becomes known at the moment of voting. “The drafts that are in circulation by the deputies of the Faction are under debate in the faction, consensus is reached, and then we go forward. Debates will be held with all concerned sides. And if as a result of them there is a need of some amendments, naturally, those amendments will be made,” Artur Hovhannisyan noted, clarifying that at this moment he also as a citizen should take part in the debates of the issue.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia