Representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Yevlakh, northeast of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement concluded on Wednesday and agreed to by Artsakh authorities.
The Artsakh InfoCenter reported that the meeting was held in a “business-like” atmosphere and a “number of issues of mutual importance were discussed.”
“The parties especially emphasized that all existing issues need to be discussed in a peaceful atmosphere, and expressed readiness to continue such meetings,” the Artsakh InfoCenter statement added.
The Artsakh authorities did not release the names of the participants of the meeting. Earlier on Thursday, however, the Azerbaijani APA news agency reported that Stepanakert was represented by Sergey Martirosyan, the head of the liaison office with the Russian peacekeeping contingent, and Davit Melkumyan, the chair of the Artsakh parliament commission of foreign affairs.
Azerbaijan was represented by Ramin Mamedov, who in March was appointed the liaison to the Armenian population of Artsakh. Also representing Baku was Bashir Hajiyev and Ilkin Sultanov, all appointed by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
The Artsakh delegation arrived with members of the Russian peacekeeping contingent who are mediating the talks.
The Russian RIA-Novosti news agency reported that the representatives of Baku and Stepanakert said that no agreement was reached during the talks, but both sides pledged to continue such meetings.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Aliyev’s office described the talks as “positive” and “constructive,” saying that they focused on the “reintegration” of Artsakh Armenians and their “activities within the framework of Azerbaijan’s constitution and laws.”
Baku’s ongoing insistence to “reintegrate” the Artsakh Armenians within Azerbaijan has met with opposition both by the current and previous regimes in Stepanakert and with the residents of Artsakh in general.
One such person is Davit Davityan, the head of the Mets Shen village near Shushi, which was hit hard by Azerbaijan large-scale attack on Artsakh on Tuesday.
Davityan told News.am that residents of his village do not want to leave.
“If people can stay in their land, live as before, that’s what everyone wants, and integration is out of the question,” Davityan said.
