ArmInfo.RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sees an opportunity to start a dialogue in the public statements of Turkish President Recep Erdogan regarding the establishment of relations with Armenia. He announced this on September 8 before the start of the government meeting.
"In these statements we see an opportunity to start a dialogue on the settlement of Armenia-Turkey relations, restarting the Armenian-Turkish railway and road communication. We are ready for this dialogue, which against any described background can get a broader context," said the head of the Armenian government. As Pashinyan pointed out, as a result, the region can become a link between East and West, North and South. Nikol Pashinyan "is pleased to note that Russia, the EU, France, and the United States have publicly expressed their readiness to actively contribute to the process, and the interest of China and India in the development of regional communication projects is well known."
To recall, on August 29, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an interview with journalists, commenting on the statements of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Yerevan had received some positive signals from Turkey to establish peace in the region and is ready to evaluate them, said that Ankara could start work over the gradual normalization of relations with Armenia if Yerevan abandons the policy of unilateral accusations. According to Anadolu, Erdogan first of all expressed hope that the new government of Armenia will work for the good of the region. "The region needs new, constructive approaches. Despite differences of opinion and expectations, it would be a manifestation of responsibility to make a sincere effort to develop good neighborly relations on a trusting basis," Erdogan said, emphasizing that it is, inter alia, about mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The Turkish leader noted that, first of all, the place of unilateral accusations should be taken by realistic approaches. "If Yerevan is ready to move in this direction, Ankara can start work on the gradual normalization of relations with Armenia. It is time to make peace and stability permanent and create conditions for economic development and regional cooperation," he said. Erdogan said that, proceeding from similar considerations, Azerbaijan also proposed to start negotiations with Armenia on a comprehensive peace agreement. "Thanks to the unification of the entire region, as agreed in the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, there will be new opportunities for the transformation of the South Caucasus. Turkey is ready to work with all parties who want to effectively use this historic opportunity," he continued.
Erdogan recalled Ankara's proposal to create a five-sided platform in the Caucasus with the participation of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran and Armenia. According to the Turkish President, it can also be a six-sided platform with the participation of Georgia. "I think the creation of a platform in this format will make benefit for the region," Erdogan stressed.
On September 2, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, during a briefing referring to Moscow's position on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, said that Russia has always stood for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. "We are now ready to contribute in every possible way to the rapprochement of the two neighboring states, on the basis of mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests. We proceed from the fact that the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in the context of the implementation of agreements on the basis of the agreements signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia of November 9, 2020 and January 11 this year - it works for peace, stability and prosperity in the region, "- said the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Referring to the prospects for the implementation of the "3 + 3" platform in the region, Zakharova noted that as she understands it is about the idea of launching a consultative regional mechanism with the participation of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Russia. "We believe that such a format would meet the interests of all potential participants. It could contribute to strengthening peace, confidence, stimulating economic processes, cooperation in the South Caucasus," she summed up.