Peace treaty with Azerbaijan may be signed by year-end - Armenian Security Council secretary

YEREVAN. Dec 22 (Interfax) - A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan may be signed before the end of this year if Baku gives a positive response to Yerevan's proposals, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said.

"The signing is possible before the end of this year if Azerbaijan gives a positive response to the proposals made by Armenia. That depends on Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps trying to bring peace to the region. Armenia has taken the step," Grigoryan told reporters on Thursday.

Armenia has offered Azerbaijan to create "an institution of guarantors," he said.

"I mean the establishment of an institution of peace treaty guarantors, international organizations or states, so that this institution could ensure the implementation of the treaty," he said.

There is no final decision as what countries could serve as guarantors, "the decision should be made by the countries themselves, but Russia could be one of them," he said.

"We have also proposed that a mechanism of appeal to an international court be provided in the event of impossibility to settle a crisis," Grigoryan said.

As to whether the peace treaty text composed by Yerevan has a provision on Nagorno-Karabakh, a settlement of the Karabakh problem, Grigoryan said, "This is a matter of negotiations. We will fully understand the issue when the talks begin, when we sit down for talks with Azerbaijan."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said earlier on Thursday that Yerevan had presented peace treaty proposals to Baku and was ready to sign the document on this basis.