YEREVAN. – The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have called for urgent steps to reduce border tensions. In fact, it is suggested that the parties withdraw their troops; the announcement of urgent steps was made in this context. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated this Saturday in Nork-Marash district of the capital Yerevan.

"The continuation is important: to carry out—with the support of the OSCE Minsk Group—delimitation, demarcation of the border. I want to say that the Armenian government is determined to go that way, we [Armenia] are ready to start the process of withdrawal of the troops at any moment; we are waiting for the OSCE MG Co-Chairs to reach a corresponding agreement with Azerbaijan so that we can definitely start withdrawing the troops.

This refers especially to the Sotk-Khoznavar section, where we have some tension since May 12. We are ready to start—under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs—the work of clarifying the border points from that very sector. We are also ready to restore the negotiation process to resolve the Karabakh [(Artsakh)] issue. Also, Yerevan welcomes the point on the return of the [Armenian] captives," he added.

Pashinyan noted, however, that in terms of content, the settlement of the Karabakh issue is not related to the clarification of Armenia's borders.