Sochi Statement Good, But Not the Turning Point Armenia was Expecting: Opinion

The statement issued by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Sochi on Jan. 23 corresponds to the position of the parties, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, since they are in support only of peaceful settlement, said Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson, National Assembly vice-chair Eduard Sharmazanov, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.

“This statement is important also for the reason that it confirmed resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is possible only through mediation of the Minsk Group. It’s known that Azerbaijan, becoming a temporary member of the UN Security Council, wanted to move the Karabakh issue to a different platform,” he said, nevertheless accepting that the document wasn’t the turning point the Armenian side was expecting, due to Azerbaijan’s “known animal stubbornness.”