Nikolay Silaev: The only reliable information we have is that the agreement has not yet been signed

Speaking with Alpha News, Nikolay Silaev, Senior Research Fellow at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, commented on the developments around the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Any outside observer who estimates whether there is progress or setbacks in the negotiations will, first of all, estimate the content of the negotiations and the text of the peace agreement. But this text is unknown to an outside observer. The discussions that are taking place during the negotiations are also unknown.

So, the only reliable information we have is that the agreement has not yet been signed. Whether there is progress or setbacks, here we fully rely on the words of those individuals who participate in the talks. And we have no means to assess these words objectively.

Obviously, if the treaty has not yet been signed and any agreements already reached have not been unveiled, this means that the negotiations are at least stalled. Negotiations have been in this state for a long time. Rounds of negotiations are interspersed with forceful pressure on Armenia from Azerbaijan. Of course, there is a great risk that this bad pattern or bad sequence will continue. I would suggest that the parties cannot yet agree on where to actually sign the peace treaty. They cannot agree whether to sign it directly between Armenia and Azerbaijan or choose some international platform.

It is clear that in this case, an organizer of the talks will become the main peacemaker. Here we are not talking about a negative or positive attitude from the public or elites; we are talking about international prestige. A country that ensures the signing of a peace treaty between countries that have long been at odds increases its authority in the eyes of other participants in the international community. However, a lot will depend on the content of the peace treaty,” Nikolay Silaev said.