CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 53

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2)
capabilities. St. Petersburg and Vienna are about it. Those substantial
tools are vital for us, the idea of those tools exists and we need to work on
that towards one important goal - to maintain an environment conducive
to peace” 11 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan told reporters on June 27 at the Foreign
Ministry.
Overall, it can be noted that there has been a significant reduction
of ceasefire violations during the period under review, and new
arrangements have been reached. However, the deep perception and
policy of each of the parties has not changed substantially, despite the
temporary positive dynamics. The Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Geneva
agreements have been replaced by the Dushanbe agreement, and the
Armenian side's proposal has been put on the agenda. Azerbaijan has
continued its policy of exerting pressure on the Armenian side through
ceasefire violations, and the rhetoric on this issue has been toughened.
The Armenian authorities, adhering to a policy of peaceful settlement of
the issue and respecting the ceasefire, have made efforts to reach
agreements that will be implemented. The Artsakh authorities, following
the agreements reached by the Armenian authorities, have contributed to
the reduction of the tension on the border. But the issue of respecting the
ceasefire remains relevant.
Some efforts have been made to build an atmosphere of confidence
through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group. As a result of a
meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Moscow
on April 15, an agreement was reached "to take measures, on a mutual
basis, to allow families to have access to their relatives held in custody in
the respective detention centers of the parties. The Ministers expressed
their willingness to start concrete work on establishing contacts between
people, including through mutual visits of media representatives." 12
However, no practical steps have been taken in this direction.
For some time, discussions on preparing societies for peace
became relevant, Prime Minister Pashinyan announced a desire to appeal

11
“Joint press conference of Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
RA and Carmelo Abela, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion of Malta”,
Official website of MFA, last modified June 27, 2019, https://www.mfa.am/en/press-
conference/2019/06/27/malta_FMs_armenia/9683 (accessed October 1, 2019).
12 “Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, and the
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,” MOSCOW, Official website of MFA, last
modified April 15, 2019, https://www.mfa.am/en/press-releases/2019/04/15/nk_meeting/
9391 (accessed October 1, 2019).
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