Putin says Russia intends to start work with Armenia and Azerbaijan on delimitation and demarcation of their border
YEREVAN, November 26. /ARKA/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hosted today Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the southern resort city of Sochi for talks, said both Armenia and Azerbaijan are interested in resolving the tensions and reopening of transport links between the two countries.
"We are all close countries, we are neighbors and we have a large volume of goods turnover, and obviously, everyone is interested in unblocking transport communications,’ he said.
"We are here also to agree on starting the work on demarcation and delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the near future. We will also talk about it later today. This is a complicated issue, inherited from the Soviet Union, where there were no clear-cut borders between the republics, but we have an opportunity to talk about it all," he said.
Putin said the more contacts, including direct contacts between the sides, the better. "I know that you are going to have a meeting in Brussels in the near future. We also welcome it: the more opportunities for direct communication the better," he said.
Putin said that he recently talked to the President of the European Council Charles Michel. "He is waiting for you. I hope we will make some step forward, and we can make further steps already in other venues. I repeat once again, we only welcome the involvement of our partners in this dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The main thing is that it benefits the sides," he said.
"I know about the incidents on the border, tragic incidents, when people are killed and injured on both sides. These are things that require special attention from our side. That's why we've gathered today, among other things, in order to avoid such incidents in the future," he said.
He said the most important thing is that conditions for the future peaceful life are being created: a trilateral commission has been established chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan to coordinate the work on reopening of transport links.
"My colleagues reported to me how the work is progressing. It is not easy, but nevertheless, this work is in an advanced state, and there is reason to believe that in the near future we will be able not only to confirm the work of the relevant group to unblock the transport communications, but also to take the relevant decisions necessary for all," he said.
Putin added that the goal of all efforts is to create conditions for the revival of the region, for people to feel safe, to be able to normally engage in economic activities, to develop the economy.
"All this, of course, should have the most favorable effect on the living standards of the citizens of both countries. And it is of great importance for Russia, bearing in mind the special nature of relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan. We were part of one state for centuries and we have very deep historical ties. We would not want them to collapse. On the contrary, we must strive to restore and support them in the future," he said. -0-
