“After the recent border escalation, the US State Department called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to agree on the withdrawal of troops from the border. It was also noted that this issue was discussed in early May in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Basically, the US is putting forward the question that Armenia has repeatedly proposed, and is there progress in Azerbaijan's positions after the US negotiations? In addition, during the interview in Prague, you stated that you are ready to accept the entire borderline with the 1975 maps. What kind of maps are these, is it what Russia is talking about, and is Azerbaijan in favor of it?”
In response to the Public TV Company's question, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed: “Yes, this is the map that Russia is talking about. And our position in that regard remains the same. And we reaffirm that position. Based on the 1975 maps of the General Staff of the Soviet Union, that is, a mirror withdrawal of troops from the borderline recorded by those maps, which, in our opinion, will mean ensuring stability in this situation.
And I must record with satisfaction that we see this problem also already formulated by the international community, which is quite important and welcome. Regarding the positions of Azerbaijan, at least for the moment, I cannot record a change in the position of Azerbaijan, at the same time emphasizing that the provision of concrete border security is the most important part of the negotiation process. There is no secret in the fact that Azerbaijan continues to pursue a policy of military pressure, trying to obtain conditions that are more favorable during the negotiations through military pressure. However, at the same time I must record that this is a violation of the internationally assumed obligation, because in the statement adopted on October 31, 2022, in Sochi as a result of the meeting, the parties agreed and committed to avoid the use of force or the threat of force,” said the Prime Minister.
He emphasized that work in this direction should be continued.
"I also want to emphasize that the mirror withdrawal of troops does not predetermine the demarcation works, that is, it is a separate process. This is just about ensuring the stability of the border situation. Although, on the other hand, we believe that the map of 1975 can and should be the basis for further demarcation works, because it implies the agreements reached in Prague on October 6, 2022, regarding the delimitation of the Almaty Declaration,” the Prime Minister said.
