YEREVAN. – In terms of content, the settlement of the Karabakh [(Artsakh)] issue is not related to the clarification of Armenia’s borders. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said this at a meeting with fellow party members Saturday at Yerevan’s Nork-Marash district office of the ruling Civil Contract Party.
"We [Armenia] are ready to be fully engaged in the negotiation process to resolve the Karabakh issue. When the negotiations within the framework of the co-chairmanship [of the OSCE Minsk Group] are fully resumed and the proposed resolution of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship on the clarification of borders is implemented, it becomes, in fact, a very important step for the realization of our visions for our future. The opportunity to open an era of peaceful development for Armenia has a cornerstone importance for these visions. We really need an era where the Armenian people in Armenia, Artsakh will be able to have the opportunity to engage in their affairs of peaceful development," he said.
According to him, they have already stated their views on the security system. "Our number one partner in the field of security is Russia, with which we have a treaty on Joint Troops and the Joint Air Defense System. The CSTO is our main security system in which we participate, and it shall continue to be so. We shall work with our partners in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We shall work together on the matter of ensuring regional security—also with Georgia—, so we can ensure lasting, stable peace for the region. When we say an 'era of peaceful development for the Armenian people,' we mean for the region in general, because the region cannot be separated in this context," Pashinyan added.
