Thursday, October 26 2023 11:04

ArmInfo.In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan spoke  about the unblocking of regional transport links, particularly about the transit from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan and the existing agreements calling for the role of the Russian FSB in controlling, managing this traffic. 

Point 9 of the Statement by the Prime Minister of the Republic of  Armenia, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the  President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2020, reads: 

"All economic and transport links in the region shall be unblocked.  The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the safety of transport  communication between the western regions of the Republic of  Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with a view to  organize the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo in  both directions. Control over transport communication shall be  exercised by the Border Guard Service bodies of the FSS of Russia." 

"First of all, I would like to emphasize that there is no separate  agenda regarding the connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.  Such an agenda exists in the context of the opening of regional  communications, when all regional communications must be opened. This  is the second. Thirdly, it is not written anywhere that any body of  the Russian Federation should have control over any territory of the  Republic of Armenia. Nowhere is it written that the Republic of  Armenia agrees [to] any limitation of its sovereign right. It is not  written anywhere that any function assigned to the state institutions  of the Republic of Armenia should be delegated to someone else. It is  not written anywhere and it is not intended, there is no such thing  that someone else should provide security in the territory of the  Republic of Armenia. No such thing was written.

"In general, after the failure of the peacekeeping contingent of the  Russian Federation in Nagorno- Karabakh, many questions arise, and  these questions are legitimate, because by saying failure I mean that  it is a fact that the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation  were unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of the Armenians of  Nagorno-Karabakh. Very serious questions arise here, but on the other  hand, there has never been any talk of restricting any sovereign  right of the Republic of Armenia and there can be no such talk.

"But on the other hand, I want to say that as I already said at the  European Parliament, and as we already agreed at the last Brussels  meeting and which was expressed in the July 15 statement of the  President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the opening of  regional communications should take place on the basis of countries'  sovereignty and jurisdiction.

"As a result, should the western regions of Azerbaijan have a  transport connection with Nakhichevan, including through the  territory of Armenia? Yes of course. Can the Republic of Armenia use  those same routes, for example, to provide a railway connection  between its different parts? Yes of course: In that case, can  Azerbaijan use the transport routes of Armenia for international  trade? Yes of course. Should Armenia have the opportunity to use the  roads of Azerbaijan for international trade? Yes of course. Should  international trade participants have the opportunity to trade with  Turkey, Iran, and Georgia through the territory of Armenia as a  global trade route? Yes of course. And we make this proposal, we are  ready for this solution and we call this proposal "Crossroads of  Peace" and we invite all our partners to make this project a reality  together."