Radar Armenia‘s interlocutor is Shahan Gantaharyan, an international scholar.
– On November 30, the session of demarcation commissions was held at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. This was the fifth meeting at the level of deputy prime ministers. What effectiveness can this meeting have when Azerbaijan refuses to meet with Armenia on Western platforms?
– Border demarcation is one of the most critical components of the peace agreement. The start of the border demarcation process should be conditioned by the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territories of Armenia. Realizing all the points of the peace agreement will go along the lines of superpower competitions. On one side is Russia, and on the other side are the USA and EU. Immediate results will not be recorded.
– During the last few days, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia had many meetings with high-ranking USA and EU officials. What are the expectations from these meetings?
– Specific short-term results still need to be visible. The USA and the EU are coordinating their actions in this direction. The collective West has become more active in keeping the steering wheel of the negotiation process in its hands. And this is due to the neutralization of Russia’s role in the region.
– The meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Russia was also held in Skopje. The Russian side has confirmed its willingness to contribute actively to the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. In your opinion, are the current Armenian-Russian relations troubling the Russian Federation?
– On the one hand, Russia is sending messages to Yerevan that it is torpedoing Armenia’s relations with Moscow; on the other hand, it is sending optimistic signals that negotiations can only be effective through mediation. The topic is the regulation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, but it is a geopolitical competition in the region.
– Bayramov once again noted that Azerbaijan and Armenia have a historic opportunity to establish neighborly relations. Why are the parties not taking advantage of this historic opportunity, and why is the process needed to move forward?
– Bayramov’s statement is an imitation step to show the international community and the family that Azerbaijan is actively working towards the conclusion of peace, but Yerevan is delaying. This tactic doesn’t work.
– What is your opinion regarding the proposal of the Azerbaijani side to meet and negotiate on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border or in a third neutral country?
– The primary purpose of that proposal is to bypass Western mediation. This is a robust proposal to conduct direct negotiations.
