Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov appeared to react late on Wednesday to Armenian proposals regarding the creation of a joint commission on border delimitation and demarcation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed to set up the commission before the end of December during their November 26 talks in Sochi hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It has still not been formed, however.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Wednesday shed light on the proposals that were communicated to Baku through Moscow last week. He indicated that Yerevan believes the commission should start its work after a set of confidence-building measures, notably the withdrawal of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops from their border posts.
Speaking in Vienna, Bayramov said that the Armenian “preconditions” are unacceptable to Azerbaijan. He said that Baku stands for an immediate and unconditional start of the demarcation process facilitated by Russia.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry denied such preconditions on Thursday. The ministry spokesman, Vahan Hunanian, said that Aliyev and Pashinian agreed on the mutual troop withdrawal when they met in Brussels on December 14.
“Accordingly, the Armenian side’s proposals are about implementing the understandings reached, rather than preconditions,” Hunanian said in written comments to the Armenpress news agency.
The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, told reporters that the proposals are aimed at creating “favorable conditions” for the demarcation process. He said Yerevan expects a written response to them from Baku.
“We should keep trying to find a solution to the issue by diplomatic and political means,” Grigorian said when asked what the Armenian side will do if Baku continues to reject the proposals.