Armenian, Azeri FMs hold meeting to discuss tensions

In separate statements, the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministries presented their own readings of the bilateral meeting between the two top diplomats.

The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia reads that Mirzoyan reiterated the position of the Armenian side regarding the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the territory of the Republic of Armenia and the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war. The importance of introducing international mechanisms to control the border situation was also emphasized.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia also announced that the country's top diplomat emphasized that the war crimes of Azerbaijan's armed forces should be transparently assessed by the international community and justice should be carried out against the criminals.

The Armenian readout of the meeting added that the foreign ministers of the two countries exchanged views on the peace treaty between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, guaranteeing rights and security guarantees for Armenians present in Karabakh.

The readout of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said that Bayramov emphasized the importance of efforts to normalize relations between the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia and sign a peace treaty in the post-conflict era.

Bayramov also provided the elements of the peace treaty based on the five principles proposed by Azerbaijan to Armenia, the Azeri side's readout added.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bayramov also emphasized the importance of the withdrawal of the Armenian military from the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the opening of transportation and communication lines in a short period of time and the need for progress in the field of border demarcation.

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