Thursday, November 10 2022 13:38

ArmInfo.Armenia has always been and is ready to provide transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic for the  unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both  directions, but Baku refuses such an offer.  Prime Minister of  Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated this on November 10 at a government  meeting.

We note that, back in August this year the National Security Service  (NSS) has put into circulation a project providing for the formation  of three new checkpoints on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.   According to the project, the checkpoints will be located from the  Sotk community of the Gegharkunik region to the state border of the  Republic of Armenia, on the M11 highway, as noted in the project,  from the Azerbaijani side towards Karvachar (Kelbajar), in the  Yeraskh community of the Ararat region - towards Sadarak, at about 7,  5 kilometers south of the Karahunj community of Syunik region on the  M2 highway - towards Sanasar (Gubadli).  On October 14, at a meeting  of the Cabinet of Ministers, Pashinyan stated that Armenia was ready  for the earliest possible opening of roads on this basis, but the  President of Azerbaijan himself opposes such a decision. On October  17, Baku responded to the proposals of the RA Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan on communications, stating that "Armenia should stop using  false pretexts in order to evade its obligations under the Trilateral  Statement of November 2020 to connect roads and railways through the  Zangezur corridor." Offering 3 unrealistic communication checkpoints  while ignoring 20 months of discussion is not a good policy>.  

Today, the prime minister once again stated that the corresponding  draft resolution, according to which these checkpoints would be  established, has been put into official circulation. "This decision  is not made for one reason: Azerbaijan does not want this. This means  that Armenia is fully fulfilling its obligation, and Azerbaijan does  not want to seize the opportunity. Moreover, such a refusal is  completely incomprehensible. If Azerbaijan really wants peace and is  ready for peace, as it claims, then let's open these checkpoints,  let's create opportunities for people. It is clear that at first they  will hesitate and think, but, having convinced themselves of the  sincerity of their intentions, the citizens of both the Republic of  Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will certainly begin to use  this new opportunity for movement," the prime minister noted. 

As for the construction of new roads, as Pashinyan noted, Armenia has  no such obligations either under the statement of November 9 or any  other document. He accused Baku of violating agreements on the  construction of a railway through Yeraskh-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz. "I  declare that even now I am ready to sign a document confirming the  statement about the railway," Nikol Pashinyan said.