Acting Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, referring to the statement of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that Armenia is not ready to sign a peace agreement, said at a briefing with journalists։ “The issue of Artsakh’s status is among the priorities, and until that issue is finally resolved, the talks within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group have not resumed, I think it will be difficult to talk about other solutions, other approaches.”

He noted that Armenia attaches importance to the negotiation process, attaches importance to the certain positive changes that exist in the unblocking negotiation process, but all the final solutions, peace agreements, delimitation and demarcation contain certain gaps, and the first most important issue is Artsakh, and the issue of the status of the people of Artsakh.

Avinyan responded to the observation that Azerbaijan demands a peace agreement. “We do not have any negotiations in that direction.”

As for the possible return of a new group of prisoners, Avinyan said that he is not inclined to provide information in advance, as it could damage the process.

The Acting Deputy Prime Minister also referred to the relieve of Armen Grigoryan from the post of the Secretary of the Security Council and the appointment to the post of Deputy Foreign Minister, saying, “There is a need to establish a certain connection between the political appointment and the diplomatic corps and the political leadership, to eliminate the existing disagreements to some extent, and I think this is a generally positive appointment.”

As for the question whether he sees himself in the executive, as information is circulating in the press that he is going to leave the public administration system, the Deputy Prime Minister said that during the formation of the Government he will definitely touch upon all the issues related to it.