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Baku should lift blockade of Armenia if it wants to join EAEU – Shavarsh Kocharyan

Breakthrough in the Karabakh conflict settlement process is impossible unless Baku changes its stance, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters today.

“We all realize that the Karabakh issue is a complex one, especially considering the position of one of the parties. Baku is doing its best to have the status quo maintained,” Mr. Kocharyan said.

The comments come in the wake of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov statement that “Karabakh issue is a complex one and negotiations are not expected to be completed any time soon.”

“We have stated on many occasions that for progress in the negotiations there should be trust between the parties, which envisages the implementation of the measures agreed upon in Vienna and St. Petersburg,” the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

Shavarsh Kocharyan reminded that implementation of the investigation mechanism has been an international commitment of Azerbaijan ever since the signing of a trilateral agreement in 1995.

“If one of the parties sticks to the “all or nothing” approach, negotiations will naturally produce no result,” Shavarsh Kocharyan stated.

Speaking about the possibility of Azerbaijan joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Shavarsh Kocharyan one of the provisions of the EAEU Treaty stipulates that even observer countries have to refrain from any actions that would harm any of the member states or the Union as a whole.

“This means that if Azerbaijan I willing to somehow come close to the Eurasian Economic Union, it should refrain from such steps,” Kocharyan said.

“Speaking about the economic aspect, one only needs to remember that Azerbaijan keeps Armenia under blockade. This is obviously an action that does not meet the interests of an EEU member state,” he added.

“We will also welcome Azerbaijan’s membership in case it respects the commitments both member and observer countries have to assume. It means Baku will have to lift the blockade, stop hostile actions, and put an end to Armenophobia,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

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