"What matters is not the place, but the content": Charles Michel on possible venue of signing Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty

YEREVAN, December 13. /ARKA/. What matters is not the place, but the content, President of the European Council Charles Michel said in an interview with RFE/RL's Armenian Service in response to a question about where a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be concluded.

"The fact that the joint statement of Armenia and Azerbaijan became possible a few days ago is partly thanks to our help. We are encouraging them, we are also working on organizing a meeting that could take place in Brussels. But in our view, the result is more important than the place of the meeting, because peace, security and prosperity are of paramount importance for the people living in Armenia, Azerbaijan and for us," Michel said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly stated his readiness to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan by the end of this year. According to him, the main principles of the peace treaty with Azerbaijan have been agreed upon.

The first principle is that Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other's territorial integrity of 29.8 thousand square kilometers and 86.6 thousand square kilometers respectively.

The second principle is that the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, which was signed by all post-Soviet countries serves as a political basis for demarcation and delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The third principle is that regional communications re-open based on the principles of equality, mutual respect for sovereignty and jurisdiction of the sides. -0-