Daniyar Ashimbayev commented on the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Armenia in his Telegram channel.
The negotiations will take place in complex geopolitical conditions. As it is known, under Pashinyan’s leadership, Armenia lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh (this was influenced not only by Azerbaijan’s military superiority, supported by Turkey, but also by the clear presence of backstage agreements).
Moreover, Armenia has taken a course away from cooperation with Russia, which supported it for many years, and has begun to drift towards the West. Last fall, Pashinyan announced the suspension of Armenia’s participation in the CSTO. Pashinyan’s inconsistent position has put him in a very ambiguous position, fraught with further isolation and another war with Azerbaijan.
At the same time, we see that Yerevan continues to actively cooperate with traditional allies within the framework of the EAEU and the CIS.
Kazakhstan, which, on the one hand, together with Armenia, is a member of these organizations, and on the other hand, actively cooperates with Azerbaijan and Turkey, has recently been actively increasing cooperation with Yerevan. Just this year, meetings of defense and foreign ministers, inter-parliamentary events, and a Kazakh-Armenian business forum took place. An initiative to develop mutual logistics through Iran and Turkmenistan has been proposed.
Kazakhstan finds it advantageous not only to have mutually beneficial multifaceted cooperation but also peace in the South Caucasus. It is necessary to take into account the historically strong Armenian-Kazakhstani ties. Astana is currently developing cooperation with Azerbaijan and Georgia, driven by the development of the East-West Trans-Caspian Trade and Transport Corridor, which Armenia has not yet joined, but the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations will allow reaching a new level of mutual cooperation.
Tokayev noted in an interview with Armenpress:
«The significance of the South Caucasus in the transport system of Eurasia has significantly increased. Therefore, the Armenian-initiated project ‘Crossroads of the World’ as a new transport idea deserves attention and comprehensive study from the point of view of its integration into the regional logistics structure of interconnectedness.
«For the effective advancement of projects, it is crucial that all interested parties reach mutually acceptable agreements on the further unblocking of communications in the region.»
I believe that Tokayev’s diplomatic experience and pragmatism can become a factor in the peaceful settlement in the region and the restoration of relations within the CSTO (besides Astana, there is objectively no one else who can significantly influence the growth of constructivism here). Kazakhstan strategically benefits from peaceful and constructive cooperation between all its neighbors and allies.
According to Tokayev,
«… when everyone perceives the path to peace in their own way and promotes their own model of peace, disregarding the interests of others, it becomes a source of tension. In this regard, I am firmly convinced that any contradictions, including those concerning the territorial integrity of states, should be resolved exclusively through political and diplomatic dialogue in accordance with the norms and principles of the UN Charter…
«We are interested in the soonest conclusion of a peace agreement between the two friendly states for us. The establishment of a strong and long-lasting peace between Yerevan and Baku serves the interests of our country.»
