Yerevan, Baku reaffirm commitment to documents recognizing sovereignty
Armenia's cabinet of ministers says Armenia and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Protocols of 1991.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
Yerevan and Baku have reaffirmed their commitments to documents under which they had recognized each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, the press office of the Armenian cabinet of ministers said on Friday.
"Armenia and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Protocols of 1991 [on the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS], under which both sides had recognized each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty." the cabinet indicated on its website.
"They confirmed that this will serve as the basis for the delimitation commissions and that the next meeting of the commissions will take place in Brussels by the end of October," the cabinet pointed out.
According to the statement, Armenia has agreed to encourage an EU civilian mission along the border with Azerbaijan, explaining that "the mission will begin its work in October for a maximum period of two months."
The Armenian cabinet of ministers clarified that the EU mission's purpose "will be to strengthen confidence and cooperation between the commissions through their reports."
The announcement followed the talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Council President Charles Michel held on Thursday in Prague.
Most recently, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov discussed on October 3 the matter of a peace treaty in a meeting in Geneva, as revealed by the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
"The sides exchanged views on the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ensuring the rights and security guarantees for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, including through the establishment of a discussion mechanism between Stepanakert and Baku," the Armenian Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.
"The mutual understanding on unblocking of the regional transport routes under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries" was welcomed by both sides, according to the statement.
On September 12, Baku accused the Armenian military of firing at the positions of the Azerbaijani troops near the border. Yerevan, in turn, said the Azerbaijani military shelled the Armenian side, using artillery and drones, as a result of which several Armenian servicemen were killed.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also reported losses in its ranks. The clashes continued the following day and Armenia demanded that an international observer mission be deployed on the ground.
About 286 people were killed in the clashes last month prior to the agreement of a truce concluded on September 14 which halted fighting on both sides.
A Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) mission landed on September 15 at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border to monitor both sides.
Six weeks of violence in the autumn of 2020 claimed over 6,500 lives and ended with a ceasefire accord sponsored by Russia.
Russia sent 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the truce, but tensions remain despite a ceasefire deal.
Just Wednesday, the Armenian and the Azerbaijani Defense Ministries exchanged accusations of violating a ceasefire.
