Papikyan on situation on Goris-Kapan highway: The risks were not  taken into account, as Russian border guards are operating there

ArmInfo.The Iranian truck drivers detained on the Goris-Kapan highway by Azerbaijani police officers will presumably be released within three days, RA Deputy  Prime Minister Suren Papikyan told reporters on September 16.

According to him, such risks were not taken into account "given the  fact that Russian border guards are operating in this direction." "At  the moment, the negotiations are continuing, and presumably the  Iranian citizens will be released within three days. Iran is working  through its diplomatic channels. In this sense, the task, by and  large, is not on our field," he said.

At the same time, as the Deputy Prime Minister assured, at the moment  there has been no reduction in the volume of freight traffic.  "Armenia will remain a transit country for Iran," he said.

When asked whether Azerbaijanis will remain on a number of sections  of the Goris-Kapan road, Papikyan noted that Armenia cannot make a  decision regarding "the police stations operating on the territory of  Azerbaijan." According to him, although the countries did not go  through the process of delimitation and demarcation, but on this  section the road existing between Soviet Azerbaijan and Soviet  Armenia has already been preliminarily outlined.

It should be reminded that according to the NSS of Armenia, "On  September 12, at 12:00, the Azerbaijani police  began to stop trucks  with Iranian numbers on the section of Eyvazli controlled by it"  (near the Armenian village of Vorotan) of the Goris-Kapan highway  passing through the territory of the Republic of Armenia. They also  demanded the payment of customs duties from the drivers of the  Iranian trucks, according to various sources, from 100 to 300 US  dollars.

On September 13, the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan  announced that Baku had established control on the section of the  Goris-Kapan road passing through the Syunik region of Armenia "in  accordance with the Azerbaijani tax code." "According to the code,  vehicles are subject to road tax, as well as a state duty for  obtaining a permit regulating international road transport in  Azerbaijan," the ministry said in a statement.

On this issue, yesterday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in  RA parliament referred to the borders of Soviet Armenia and said that  the country would stubbornly follow the strategy of establishing a  viable peace in the region and urged the MPs not to give a reason for  a different understanding of the situation. He said that "we need  strong nerves" in order not to succumb to provocations today.

It was also announced in parliament that Azerbaijani police detained  two Iranian drivers at the Eyvazli section (near the Armenian village  of Vorotan) of the Goris-Kapan highway. The drivers were accused of  transporting goods to Stepanakert. Iran has officially confirmed the  fact of detention.