YEREVAN. – Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: According to Zhoghovurd daily’s information, many MPs of the [ruling majority] "Civil Contract" Faction of the National Assembly were not surprised that no document was signed after the October 31 meeting of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and RF [(Russian Federation)] President Vladimir Putin in [Russia’s] Sochi [city].

The thing is that a circle of [these] MPs was aware that RF had submitted a document consisting of 15 points, whose points 14 and 15 were problematic for both sides. In particular, the MPs told Zhoghovurd daily that point 14 referred to the extension of the term of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], which Armenia was in favor of, Azerbaijan—against, and point 15 referred to the issue of self-determination of Artsakh, which Azerbaijan was also against.

Although the issue of self-determination of Artsakh is not settled by the western version [of the Armenia-Azerbaijan] either, taking into account the neutrality of the RF side after the [military] actions of Azerbaijan [against Armenia] in September, the ruling [political] team [of Armenia] remains inclined to the western version and the normalization of relations with them—cutting off the connection with the RF.

In any case, as of now, the future of the [Russian] peacekeepers [in Artsakh] is uncertain, and although Pashinyan had said he was ready to sign the issue of extension [of their mandate in Artsakh], it never happened.