YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that during the trilateral meeting with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Sochi on October 31 some issues were not agreed on by the sides, but he refused to make them public.
“Can I say something [about those issues]? I can, but don’t think I should. If they remain unsettled, there is no need to draw extra media and public attention to them, we should simply try and agree on them in a calm manner, out of the public eye,” TASS reports Putin as saying, when asked about provisions of the trilateral statement adopted after the Sochi summit that could not be agreed by the sides.
“Those issues are very delicate and sensitive for both sides, and I don’t feel like I should reveal them without prior consent from the partners,” Putin said.
Following talks with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Russian President said the sides had adopted a joint statement, but some provisions had to be removed from the initial draft.
Touching upon the border demarcation and delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian leader stated: “Demarcation and delimitation of borders is the most important question. Indeed, we discussed it a lot today, and there have been certain prerequisites, [showing] that the path in general has been found,” Putin said.
Putin added that Russia is ready to provide also their maps, compiled by the General Staff of the Soviet armed forces, in order to facilitate Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation. “As we understand, these maps are the most accurate,” Putin said. “And we are ready to move forward using them as a basis and discussing the matter with both sides. We have agreed with the sides that these contacts, these negotiations, these consultations would continue,” he added.