- What do you think, what does this document say about progress in the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement?
- This document should be considered a breakthrough in relations. During the entire period of the conflict and three years after, I do not remember anything like this happening. This is an extremely important and serious document. Considering that it was jointly accepted by the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, it turned out to be an unexpected, but at the same time positive event in terms of hopes and aspirations for signing a peace treaty. Today we must consider it a very important step towards peace, towards mutual understanding of the positions of both sides.
- In your opinion, what benefits does bilateral dialogue bring to the settlement?
- I believe this joint statement has shown the effectiveness negotiations without intermediaries. Over a long period of time, we have seen the way both sides saw the future of their relationship through mediation. At first, it was the OSCE Minsk Group, then various platforms that emerged after the end of the Karabakh war in 2020 - and each time some problems arose with conducting negotiations there. Now we see that it is possible to conduct a dialogue without mediators, and this yields tangible results.
- How do you assess the agreements themselves?
- The gestures made by both sides prove that mutual understanding of the negotiating partners is possible. Azerbaijan made a gesture of goodwill by transferring 32 prisoners to Armenia in exchange for two Azerbaijani citizens. This is quite a big concession, on the other hand, it can also be considered the price of an Azerbaijani military personnel. The positive spirit of the joint statement demonstrates how much progress can be made and how quickly agreements can be reached in bilateral negotiations.
- What further steps to improve relations should be expected from Baku and Yerevan?
- I think, we need to go to a peace agreement, since there is no alternative to it. Only through a peace agreement can the region ultimately develop economically, prosper and move forward. Without a peace agreement there will be no development. Let's hope that the parties interested in peace in the South Caucasus will create all the conditions so that Baku and Yerevan can agree on a comprehensive bilateral settlement
