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.