What Was the Main Topic of the Meeting with Aliyev in Vienna: Nikol Pashinyan

Establishing peace and stability in the region cannot be the responsibility of just two or one of the three parties involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is a responsibility that is equally shared by all three parties of the conflict. This collective responsibility requires joint efforts,” said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the meeting of the Union of Armenians of the World.

According to him, this was the main topic during his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vienna. However, Pashinyan noted that there are misunderstandings which he addressed in his speech.

He stated that it is being claimed that Armenia demands a change in the format of negotiations regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Azerbaijan considers it a victory that no such change has occurred. Pashinyan emphasized that the Armenian government has never put forward the issue of changing this format; rather, it has sought to restore the format.

“We have never questioned that the negotiations on the Karabakh issue should take place within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship. From the very first moment of its establishment, the OSCE Minsk Group format has presumed and included the participation of elected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation process,” Pashinyan stated.

He added that this participation has been ensured throughout the entire negotiation process, even after 1998, as Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan were elected representatives of Karabakh. Therefore, the elected representatives of Karabakh should also participate now.

If the elected representatives of Karabakh do not participate in the negotiations, then one can talk about anything except the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during his speech at the meeting of the Union of Armenians of the World.

He also addressed the Madrid Principles and posed the question as a newly engaged participant in the negotiations: what could the Madrid Principles signify?

“In Vienna, I did not receive a clear answer to this question. Only after I receive a very clear answer to this question will we clearly state how acceptable and unacceptable these principles are, and whether they are generally acceptable or not,” Pashinyan concluded.