Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in the Armenian capital that Astana has agreed with Yerevan to “actively work together and participate in the peace process”, stressing that they welcome the aspiration of Armenia and Azerbaijan to conclude a peace agreement.
“Kazakhstan is ready to provide maximum assistance here and undertake a mission of good services, that is, to provide its platform for negotiations between the two countries,” Tokayev said, stressing that the main goal is to “bring the two countries that Kazakhstan considers friendly closer together.”
Tokayev visited Azerbaijan as recently as last month to meet with the leadership of that country. As part of his visit on March 11-12, together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Kazakh leader also visited Karabakh, a region that had long been at the center of the Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute and that Baku took control of as a result of military operations in 2020 and 2023.
At a joint press conference with Tokayev in Yerevan today Pashinian also said that they discussed issues related to “ensuring security and stability in the South Caucasus.” He said that he presented the latest developments in negotiations with Azerbaijan, reaffirming the readiness of the Armenian government “to establish stable and lasting peace in the region based on the three principles already agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Pashinian said that, according to these principles, “Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other’s territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991; the Almaty Declaration becomes a political basis for border delimitation and demarcation between the two countries, and there is no agenda to create a new border; regional links are to be opened in accordance with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries through which they pass and with their jurisdictions being respected, based on the principle of equality and reciprocity.”
Pashinian also presented to Tokayev Armenia’s peace initiative called “Crossroads of Peace”, noting that its implementation can drastically change the situation in the region. The Kazakh leader said his country welcomed Pashinian’s initiative.
The parties also reportedly discussed issues of economic and investment cooperation, stressing that the list of export and import products should be expanded.
“Kazakhstan is ready to increase [annual] exports to Armenia to up to $350 million,” Tokayev said.
According to official statistics reported by Kazakhstan’s government for 2023, exports from Kazakhstan to Armenia stood at only $33.4 million.
During his one-day official visit to Armenia the Kazakhstani president also attended the ceremony of signing of a number of documents between Armenia and Kazakhstan at the office of Armenia’s president. In particular, under one such agreement Yerevan and Astana have been declared sister cities.
While in Yerevan Tokayev was also scheduled to meet with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian and Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian.