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The joint statement by the Armenian prime minister’s office and the Azerbaijani presidential administration cannot mark the launch of direct negotiations between the two countries, political technologist Armen Badalyan claims.

According to the statement released on Thursday, Armenia and Azerbaijan "share the view that there is a historic chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region."

"The two countries reconfirm their intention to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity," it read.

“Just forget about it! I don’t think it’s part of direct talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan because neither Russia nor the West would allow the Artsakh issue to move out of their spheres of influence,” Badalyan told Panorama.am on Saturday.

Some experts hailed the joint statement as the start of direct Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations sought by Baku.

“Direct talks imply that Armenia and Azerbaijan have rejected all mediation efforts and are trying to reach a settlement to the Artsakh issue. They might seek to solve the issue bilaterally, but it also concerns the Middle Corridor and thus the South Caucasus, which connects the Central Asia to the West,” Badalyan explained.

“The West, Russia, China, and to some extent Iran are fighting for a grip on the Central Asian countries, and, naturally, the West would never allow either Armenia or Azerbaijan to solve issues independently at their discretion when it comes to Artsakh. This is of vital importance for Russia and the West,” he stated, calling Nikol Pashinyan's government a "Western puppet".