Kremlin Releases Agenda of Upcoming Putin-Pashinyan-Aliyev Talks

MOSCOW — The Kremlin released the agenda of the upcoming October 31 trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will discuss the course of implementation of the trilateral statements of 9 November 2020, 11 January and 26 November 2021, as well as the future steps aimed at strengthening stability and security in South Caucasus. Issues pertaining to restoration and development of trade-economic and transport connections will also be discussed.

Aside from the trilateral talks, Putin will hold separate meetings with Pashinyan and Aliyev.

Speaking on Thursday at the Valdai Discussion Club in Russia, Putin said Russia supports a peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, as well as the delimitation of their border, but added that it is to Armenia, the Armenian people and the Armenian leadership to decide which settlement option to choose.

‘No matter what option is chosen, if it leads to peace, we are only for it,” Putin said. Putin said Moscow was not going to dictate anything to Armenia. ‘If the Armenian people and today’s Armenian leadership believe that a particular variant of a peace treaty must be chosen … The so-called Washington agreement, as far as I understand it, provides for the recognition of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan over Karabakh as a whole, and if Armenia believes so, you are welcome. We will support any choice the Armenian people make. If the Armenian people and Armenia and the Armenian leadership think that Karabakh has some peculiarities, and that these peculiarities should be taken into account and somehow that should be stipulated in a future peace agreement that is also possible. But of course we need to reach an agreement with Azerbaijan, and this agreement should be acceptable to the other side, Azerbaijan as well,” Putin said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on the eve of Sochi meeting that he wants to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan by the end of this year