Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published an article in Armenpress.
“The most frequently exploited or escalated issue by Azerbaijan is the issue of regional communications. Azerbaijan says that Armenia is not fulfilling its obligations, indicating that the communication routes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are closed.
First of all, it should be emphasized that Armenia does not have any unilateral obligations. Both sides have committed to opening all transport and economic communications for each other. Today, no transport or economic communication in Azerbaijan is open to Armenia or those passing through Armenia, nor is there a road, railway, pipeline, power line, or cable.
All roads in Armenia are open to Azerbaijan. Back in 2022, the Government circulated a draft decision on opening three border points on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, which would allow Azerbaijani trucks and passenger cars to enter the territory of Armenia and, say, travel to Nakhichevan and Turkey.
These decisions were not made only because of Azerbaijan’s refusal; the Government of Armenia may adopt them in a week or two. Of course, there is no infrastructure for entering Nakhichevan, and it needs to be built, but that can also be done quite quickly.
But right now, in terms of the readiness of the physical infrastructure, for example, trucks can enter the territory of the Republic of Armenia through the Lachin-Kornidzor section through the Kornidzor checkpoint, travel along our roads to the Armenia-Turkey border and enter Turkey through the Margara checkpoint—the same in the opposite direction. The physical infrastructure necessary for such transit cargo transportation is ready now, but it remains to make a de jure decision. We are prepared to make such a decision if there is interest from Azerbaijan and Turkey.
We will ensure cargo transportation safety, but if there is a psychological complication for Azerbaijani drivers and trucks, Turkish lorries can organize such transportation. These lorries have always traveled and are still actively traveling on Armenian roads today. Trucks from other countries can also do this.
But once again, I want to officially record that Armenia has never, in writing or orally, undertaken any obligation, agreed, or even hinted that ensuring security in its own territory, including international or Azerbaijani passenger or cargo transportation, should or could be outsourced to another country. There has been no such thing; there simply is no such thing. On the contrary, Armenia has undertaken to guarantee the security of the passage, which we are ready to do.
Armenia has never undertaken any obligation, written or oral, has not agreed, and has not even hinted that it could agree to any limitation of its sovereignty, jurisdiction, or territorial integrity, including on the issue of communication from Western Azerbaijan through the territory of the Republic of Armenia to the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan.
Communication from Western Azerbaijan through the territory of the Republic of Armenia to the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan is a sub-topic in the topic of regional communication routes. Armenia has never posed an obstacle here, either.
Moreover, we have been and continue to be maximally creative and flexible in this issue. In 2022, addressing Azerbaijan’s concerns, we proposed the establishment of an international specialized organization on the principle of reciprocity to outsource the front function of passport, customs, and other control of citizens and cargo during border crossing. Azerbaijan disagreed.
Now, taking into account Azerbaijan’s claim that due to the long-standing conflict, Azerbaijani citizens will avoid passing through the RA border and customs control, we have proposed at this stage to start opening the communication in the Zangelan-Meghri-Ordubad and vice versa, and in the Yeraskh-Ordubad-Meghri and vice versa directions with railway freight transportation. Moreover, we have proposed an option that does not undermine any parties’ sovereignty, jurisdiction, and territorial integrity. If Baku’s concern is to ensure reliable cargo transportation to and from Nakhichevan, that issue is resolved. All that remains is for Azerbaijan to say yes. The construction of the Nrnadzor-Karchhevan railway on the territory of the Republic of Armenia will take some time. A short section of the railway should also be built on the border with Yeraskh-Nakhichevan, but this is Armenia-Armenia and Azerbaijan-Turkey. It is necessary for the railway connection, and this work can be done quickly.
On the same principle, we are ready to provide transit for pipelines, power lines, and cables from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan. It is unclear why Azerbaijan rejected these proposals. I hope not to create a false pretext for escalation.
Azerbaijan also declares that if Armenia does not provide a road to Nakhichevan, it will provide the Western Azerbaijan-Nakhichevan connection through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is no problem; we are not against it. It is a matter of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan and their decision.
However, to be clear, the Republic of Armenia is ready to provide passage from Western Azerbaijan to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic under the same legal conditions Iran offers.
In response, Azerbaijan says that the passage should be unhindered. In other words, is the passage through Iran hindered? After all, we say that we are ready to provide the same passage under the same legal conditions.
On the principle of reciprocity, we are ready to implement some simplifications of the passage procedures and the introduction of automated mechanisms. Why does Azerbaijan reject these constructive proposals?
My conviction is clear: the opening of all regional economic and transport communications, including from Western Azerbaijan through the territory of the Republic of Armenia to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic and vice versa, from the Republic of Armenia to Meghri-Yeraskh through the territory of Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic) and vice versa, is fully prepared and only Azerbaijan’s consent is necessary for its implementation,” he wrote.
