Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan both called their first official meeting Friday in Vienna “constructive,” saying that the talks that reportedly lasted more than three hours, brought new impetus to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks.
Pashinyan called the meeting “productive” during a briefing with the Austrian-Armenian community Friday evening, saying the while there was no earthshattering outcome, it served as an impetus to continue the Karabakh peace talks.
“I can’t say that was any revolutionary or earthshattering developments in the negotiation process, however it is important that a process has begun whereby we have the opportunity to discuss our agenda, perspectives and issues,” said Pashinyan at the gathering with the Armenian community. He explained that he was able to address the issues that he put forth during a joint meeting of the Armenia and Artsakh security councils in Stepanakert earlier this month, as well as points he had made during an extensive press conference last week.
During a press conference last week, Pashinyan said that vision that he has articulated, which include Artsakh’s participation in the talks, were meant as an invitation for a “dialogue” in the negotiations. In Stepanakert, he called for a clarification of the principles, based on which the negotiations have proceeded, explaining that in the past 10 years different interpretations of those principles have guided the peace process.
On Friday, he told the Armenian community of Austria that when he says that the talks with Aliyev were “positive,” it did not mean that one side emerged victorious while another a loser, expressing his belief that such a mindset has impeded the conflict resolution process.
“It is natural that each side has its own perspective [in the talks],” said Pashinyan. “This conflict has deep roots. The most important thing to register is that we [each side] understands that we are not dealing with a simple issue. This is a serious matter and a deep concern.”
“They [talks] were held in a constructive atmosphere. It was the first official meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders after a long pause … The meeting is important because it gave a new start to the negotiations on the issue [Nagorno-Karabakh],” Aliyev, in his turn, told reporters in Vienna.
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, who mediated the meeting, also found the talks productive in an announcement they issued immediately following the talks, which were held in the iconic Bristol Hotel in the heart of Vienna.
The co-chairs convened the meeting with the participation of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, as well as Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, following which, Pashinyan and Aliyev held one-on-one talks.
“The meeting took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere and provided an opportunity for the two leaders to clarify their respective positions. They exchanged views about several key issues of the settlement process and ideas of substance,” said the Minsk Group co-chairs, Igor Popov of Russia Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the U.S.in their announcement.
“The two leaders underlined the importance of building up an environment conducive to peace and taking further concrete and tangible steps in the negotiation process to find a peaceful solution to the conflict,” added the Co-chairs’ statement.
“Recalling their conversation in Dushanbe, the leaders recommitted to strengthening the ceasefire and improving the mechanism for direct communication. They also agreed to develop a number of measures in the humanitarian field,” explained the co-chairs referring to the fist unofficial talks Pashinyan and Aliyev held in November in the Kirgiz capital.
“The Prime Minister and President instructed their Ministers to meet with the Co‑Chairs again in the near future. They also agreed to continue their direct dialogue,” explained the co-chairmen about next steps in the Karabakh negotiation process.
a good meet with them azeris is when they are sent to hell- we help them get there quick-dirt bags they are- God bless our Armenia- the turks and they have occupied our lands-the end for them will come
Good start.
Armenia proper behind the scenes should push comments such as ” Armenian will, in case of resumed hostilities, work toward Azerbaijan regime change and free the Azeri peoples from a despotic rule to a more democratic rule such as what Armenia has.”.. And repeat this all the time. Many in Azerbaijan understand the corrupt nature of the Aliyev regime and would silently welcome it. Armenia’s real enemy, after all, isn’t the Azeri people but the Turkish Tatar regimes and Zionists that support them… Our only real answer is UNITY… One Armenian, Artsakh and diaspora..
Kudos to our diplomats. Same to our military, elected officials, truly, the Armenian people, and nation has much to be proud of. The nation stands weaker than it should be because of its lower birth rate. The government is weaker due to a lower tax base, The military is weaker due to shortage of manpower and Armenian diplomats are doing a fantastic job considering that they don’t have much to bargain with.
The only solutions a tripling of the birth rate in Armenia and Artsackh. Financial incentives are the only effective means in a poor society. Therefore if a Fertility Enhancement Program were to
offer women $100 per month while pregnant, a $1000 bonus upon birth of a viable healthy child, and a $100 per month for seven years while raising the child. In total $10,300. A bargain. Divided over seven years thats, 1, $471 per child per year. One can add another 10 years of school, and thats 12,000 or $2,671 from womb to graduation. I’m assuming that the government can afford this. Perhaps one tank less? Of course with this program, facilities need to be established for children in transit, and a child welfare inspection program as well.
But for a country with a shrinking population, and the “brain drain” associated with it what other possibility is there? It seems that Armenia and Artsackh cant seem to entice the diaspora to move back like Israel. Reluctance to accept Islamized Armenians into our society? Test tube babies production facilities? Nah, I don’t think we are there yet. A temporary dispensation from the church, for lets say about 100 years, from the church rule against Polygamy for those so inclined and financially able. Not likely! What else?
The artificial state of Azerbaijan, established on occupied Armenian lands a hundred years ago, and its racist criminal leadership should never be trusted. The April 2016 preplanned surprise attack in the middle of negotiations was an example of their deceitful behavior. The reason it only lasted four days, despite tens of billions of dollars in offensive armament investments by the enemy, was because their plan failed with massive losses. The so-called peace negotiations, and ceasefires out of desperation, are just excuses for defeated artificial Azerbaijan to regroup and to make plans for their next offense. The same thing happened back in 1994. Humiliated and defeated, when they realized if the clashes continued they stood to lose a lot more they called for a ceasefire not to cease hostilities but to buy time to get back on their feet to continue their failed aggression. The Armenian leadership, for some reason or another, has been short-sighted over the years and has agreed to shaky ceasefires instead of pushing forward to force the enemy to capitulate instead. Our leaders should have put the final nail on the enemy coffin back then once and for all and failed to do so. The current tense situation is arguably a consequence of their inaction and decisiveness back then.
We must not only defend and maintain all liberated territories but that we still have so much more occupied territories to liberate that sitting around a negotiating table to talk peace with these jackals is incomprehensible. The ultimate goal of the enemy is to have a common border with genocidal Turkey at the expense of Armenia as it has been evident by rewriting history by both enemies and by made-up “two states, one nation” phrase which is nothing more than euphemism for the destruction of the Armenian state, a pan-Turkic plan pursued centuries ago. A further proof of this policy is the Turkish direct involvement in this conflict in favor of artificial Azerbaijan taking advantage of it to engage in proxy war against the Armenians. History has proven that these peace negotiations are just about meaningless and the enemy has not changed and will never do so. What we need to do is to strengthen the army by all means possible, and by massive retaliatory and deadly offensive weapons, to force peace in the region. The enemy must feel our unity and strength on their skin. There is no other way.