YEREVAN. Jan 20 (Interfax) - A meeting of the Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia trilateral group on unblocking economic and transport ties in Nagorno-Karabakh will take place in late January, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said.
"Unblocking transport communications is a very important issue. This unresolved issue puts us in a more dangerous position. A correct solution of the issue taking into account legal and security nuances will provide security guarantees," Grigoryan said in response to the questions of deputies in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday.
The stage of talks has not yet begun, he said. "The first meeting will be held at the end of the month, after which the rules of the negotiation process will be announced," Grigoryan said.
As reported, Grigoryan will head a working group from the Armenian side, which is being set up following the meeting of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow seeking to unblock economic and transport ties in Nagorno-Karabakh.
On January 11, following the talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the parties had signed a statement on setting up a trilateral group for enhancing economic ties and developing infrastructure projects in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The need to unblock economic and transport ties in the region is declared in the last paragraph of the trilateral agreement on a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh adopted on November 9, 2020.
"The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange the unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo in both directions. The Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service shall be responsible for overseeing the transport connections. As agreed by the parties, new transport links shall be built to connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the western regions of Azerbaijan," the agreement reads.