YEREVAN. – The matter of setting up a customs checkpoint between Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; NKR) has not been a subject of negotiations and there is no section about it in Armenia’s Eurasian Economic Union accession treaty. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan stated the aforementioned on the air of a TV program.

“A very logical formulation, that the customs territory of countries is their territory, is simply noted there [, in the abovementioned treaty]. The Republic of Armenia naturally could not have accepted a selective approach towards itself.

“And so we may close the matter related to Nagorno-Karabakh in general, I will say that we [, Armenia,] have confirmed the approach that Karabakh is not a part of the Republic of Armenia; we build our relations with Karabakh as with a de facto established state, [but] not de jure recognizing, and our relations are horizontal.

“We respect the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia can recognize the NKR’s independence anytime, and it does not recognize solely due to the [OSCE] Minsk Group negotiation format, and [several] other matters.

“But this does not mean at all that we don’t build horizontal relations. So, we just have reaffirmed what was our official position over the course of the years,” Kocharyan specifically noted.