Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenia should take great efforts to settle Turkish-Armenian relations and to weaken Russian influence in the country, Armenian analyst Stepan Grigoryan said.

"Armenia is taking great efforts to settle Turkish-Armenian relations, hoping to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as the opening of the border would lead to the weakening of Russian influence on us and allow us to make our own decisions," he said in Baku on Thursday at the "Azerbaijan - Eastern Partnership: Regional Challenges and Opportunities" forum organized by the Azerbaijani Presidential Center for Strategic Studies. "We cannot delay the resolution of the Karabakh conflict."

Grigoryan added that the Minsk process is a "long-lasting phenomenon," and the publication of the Madrid Principles is "a serious step."

He said the Madrid Principles give a chance for rapid progress, since they reflect the interests of both parties.

"The presidents signed a declaration preparing a peace initiative and in parallel increasing confidence in Astana yesterday," he said.

A statement on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted on behalf of the heads of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Astana on Wednesday at the OSCE summit. It calls for a speedy resolution of the conflict.