The talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington (May 1-4) has brought the sides' positions on a possible peace treaty closer, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan said.
Speaking at a government meeting on Thursday, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said the breach of ceasefire by Azerbaijan on May 11 in Gegharkunik province of Armenia aimed ‘to nullify the progress achieved during the talks of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Washington".
When asked to specify, Paruyr Hovhannisyan said that both sides got a better idea of the other side's approaches.
"The American side did its best to create a positive environment, and it was a really productive step in bringing the positions of both sides on a possible peace treaty closer. Of course, there are a number of important issues that have to be discussed, so a high-level meeting is being organized in Brussels, to be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow," he said.
He confirmed that a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Moscow is scheduled for May 19.
"The Moscow meeting will be a logical continuation of the talks in Washington in some aspects, but each format has its own peculiarities," the deputy minister added.
The April 11 incident occurred just days before European Council President Charles Michel is to host Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev for talks in Brussels this weekend.
The EU-hosted meeting was preceded by talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington earlier this month. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after the talks that “tangible progress” had been made by the sides at talks in Washington, DC, ARKA reports.
