YEREVAN. – No one expected a flying progress from the trilateral meeting of the Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian presidents in St. Petersburg on June 20. However, it was a useful, in sense of producing relatively calm atmosphere on the Karabakhi and Azerbaijani contact line, said the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov.

“We didn’t expect any progress, especially when the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made an absurd statement the day before. However, I think that with the help  of this meeting we have made a step forward towards the peace. If the parties expect to see serious progress in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan must fulfill all the points of 1994-95 ceasefire agreement. We cannot expect a flying progress of the issue without participation of Karabakh. There is no alternative to the realization of the self-determination right of Nagorno-Karabakh. Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. The Karabakhi society needs to enjoy the same rights, as Scotland's society did. Why could the Scottish do that, but the Artsakhi people can’t?” he said.

Eduard Sharmazanov noted that there are two options - either to shut the door, which is not acceptable, or to negotiate.

“For us the most important thing now is to preserve the peace. At this moment, Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting has solved the issue it set forth – to provide a relatively calm situation at the border”.

As earlier reported, on June 20 there was held a trilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. After the meeting, the presidents had made a joint statement. The presidents reaffirmed their commitments to the agreements reached in Vienna on May 16 and also agreed to increase the number of international observers in the conflict zone. They also expressed satisfaction concerning the recent preservation of the ceasefire on the contact line. The Presidents agreed to continue meetings in a similar format.