News - Armenia lawmaker: Peace treaty can be signed when Azerbaijan accepts our principles

Our expectation from Azerbaijan and the negotiation process is that the agreements which the Armenian side continuously records in the peace agreement be accepted by Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan speak about them publicly. Sargis Khandanyan, an MP of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction and Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, told this to reporters at the NA Wednesday. "If they are not accepted, it means that the [peace] treaty cannot be signed at the moment. Armenia will continue to insist on these principles. In the latest version [of the draft peace treaty] that was sent to Baku, the provisions that are very fundamental for us were there again," Khandanyan said, reminding yet again the important principles for the Armenian side: jurisdiction, legislation, reciprocity, and equality of the two countries. "These principles should be recorded in the [peace] agreement, and there was an agreement on them in July last year. After that, it is unacceptable for us [i.e. Armenia] to speak in corridor logic. "If it is noted that the [regional] roads should be unblocked under the legislation and jurisdiction of Armenia, it means that the security in the territory of Armenia also should be ensured by the relevant bodies of Armenia. But these parameters should be negotiated, discussed. Our expectation is that Azerbaijan will reaffirm its agreement, and then it will be possible to discuss these parameters in working order," Khandanyan emphasized. He went on to say that the other important principle for Armenia is the recognition of each other's territorial integrity, but which Armenia has not seen from Azerbaijan until now. "When the principles that are expressed in our version of the peace treaty are acceptable by Azerbaijan, then it will be possible to sign the peace treaty. One of those principles is the unconditional recognition of [one another’s] territorial integrity also," said the Armenian ruling force MP.