Yerevan Ready to Resume Talks with Baku, Awaits Proposals from Minsk Group: Armenian PM

"Returning to the call of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to renew the talks (on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), I would like to stress that Armenia is ready to participate in the talks both at the high and highest levels, we are awaiting specific proposals," he said, TASS reported.

According to the prime minister, "overcoming hostility can and should become the key component of Armenia’s regional agenda." "Deepening and normalizing relations between neighboring countries is an important direction of government policy. Unfortunately, some forces are trying to distort Armenia’s intentions claiming that Armenia named a reform of armed forces a priority in order to adopt an aggressive policy with regards to neighboring countries. The Armenian Armed Forces are developing not for aggression but for the protection from aggression," the prime minister added.

In the fall of 2020, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh aggravated with armed clashes occurring on the disputed territory. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. On April 13, 2021, the Azerbaijani president said that he expected proposals from the OSCE Minsk Group on its further operations and noted that it could play a positive role in the further establishment of peaceful life in the region. On the same day, the Minsk Group urged the parties to refrain from mutual accusations and begin preparations for constructive talks.

The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, the US and France, was created as a format to find the ways of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It also includes Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.