Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the regular session of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Moscow. First, there was a video recording ceremony of the leaders, followed by extended group meetings. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a speech in the small session, in which he specifically stated:

"First of all, I would like to thank the Russian side and the President of the Russian Federation personally for the hospitality shown and for organizing the current session at the highest level. Today's meeting is an excellent opportunity to exchange opinions on current issues regarding the development of CIS.

In this context, I would like to inform you from Armenia's perspective about the current situation in the peace process between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and Yerevan's vision for further development.

The Government of the Republic of Armenia is firmly committed to the early establishment of peace in the South Caucasus and to bringing the region to a path of stable and predictable development, considering the interests of all countries in the area.

This year, we have made tangible progress in the process of demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and, in particular, based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration, border demarcation was carried out in three sections of the border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and in those sections, the inter-republican administrative border of the Soviet period has already been reproduced as a demarcated interstate border. This is undoubtedly an example of success.

Another important event took place on August 30 of this year, when the regulation on the joint activity of the commissions on the demarcation of the state border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan was signed.

In Armenia, the process of internal state procedures for adopting this document is ending. During this month, the Armenian Parliament will discuss the issue of ratification of this document. It is important to note that the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia has already confirmed the compliance of the signed regulation with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which means that the recognition of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Government of the Republic of Armenia based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, which implies the entire territory of Soviet Azerbaijan, is constitutional. This, in turn, means that there are no territorial claims against Azerbaijan or any other country in the Armenian constitution.

Dear colleagues, we proceed from the firm conviction that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible and achievable. In recent months, Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that the draft agreement "On the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan" has been agreed upon by at least 80 percent. Recently, in the format of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, an agreement was reached to activate the work towards the completion of the approval of the draft peace treaty.

In principle, we can act according to the following logic we propose to Azerbaijan: to sign what has already been agreed upon, thus having not only de facto but also de jure peace, and continue working on all other issues. In any case, developing such a peace agreement that will answer all questions and regulate all aspects of bilateral relations is impossible. Whatever the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there will inevitably remain important, fundamental issues that must be agreed upon and resolved, and new treaties must be signed.

Moreover, in the presence of a signed and ratified peace agreement, solving other issues will be much easier because a completely different situation will prevail in the region. At this stage, we have to decide on a number of the fundamental problems that can become a solid basis for establishing peace between our countries. It is about mutual recognition of each other's territorial integrity. We are talking about the obligation to confirm the absence of territorial claims towards each other and not to present such claims in the future. We are talking about maintaining the principle of non-use of force and threat of force, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, establishment of diplomatic relations, and creation of bilateral mechanisms for the fulfillment of obligations assumed by the parties within the framework of the peace treaty.

The parties have already agreed on the wording of all these issues in the draft agreement "On the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan." We are ready to sign this document this month, and this is our official position.

Another critical aspect of establishing stability in the South Caucasus is the issue of unblocking all transport and economic connections. In this matter, we offer concrete solutions, which are reflected in the "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by us. The project's essence is as follows: Armenia is ready to ensure the passage of vehicles, cargo, passengers, pipelines, and cables through its territory: from Georgia to Iran and vice versa, Turkey to Azerbaijan and vice versa, etc. We are ready to ensure the passage of vehicles, cargo, passengers, pipelines, and cables between the central part of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan.

In response to our proposals, Azerbaijan emphasizes that if Armenia does not want to open regional communications, it will take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran to connect with Nakhichevan. Of course, we do not object because this is a matter of sovereign relations between the two countries. But I want to emphasize that Armenia intends to open regional channels and that we are ready to provide transport communications through our territory on the same terms as the Islamic Republic of Iran. Moreover, we are prepared to make certain simplifications in border control procedures within the framework of respect for the principles of reciprocity, equality, sovereignty, and jurisdiction of the parties.

In this context, I emphasize that the Republic of Armenia is ready to fully ensure the safety of traffic of goods, vehicles, and people through its territory. This is our desire, our commitment, and we guarantee it. By the way, all statements that Armenia has somehow agreed that third countries will ensure communication security in its sovereign territory or that some document stipulates this simply do not correspond to reality. Ensuring security in its territory is the sovereign obligation of any country. That's our job, and we're guaranteed to do it.

Concluding my speech, I would like to congratulate our Tajik friends on accepting the presidency of the CIS in 2025 and express the Armenian side's permanent disposition to make all necessary efforts to implement the mutually beneficial priority projects of the presidency of the Republic of Tajikistan in the CIS. Thank you for your attention.

Next, in the extended session, the leaders of the states signed the protocols of the issues approved by the agenda. In particular, issues related to the development of cooperation within the framework of the CIS were discussed. Among other issues, a decision was made to recognize the city of Meghri in Armenia as the Cultural Capital of the CIS in 2026.