The Armenian Government will not give any corridor through Armenia’s territory to anyone, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said.
The PM made the remarks when asked at a meeting with the Armenian community in Vladivostok whether or not the opening of regional connections could be a threat for Armenia, namely for Syunik province.
“The opening of the road doesn’t create any danger for Armenia and Syunik province, on the contrary it will bring additional security and stability guarantees, it is another matter that sometimes there are expressions in the Azerbaijani narrative which reveal some dangers. For example, they speak about a corridor. I want this to be very clear: we will not give any corridor to anyone through the territory of Armenia. But we will give a road, we will open the road, and we are ready to do it at any moment. We’ve also conveyed proposals, as soon as Azerbaijan accepts these proposals we can sign a concrete document based on these proposals and very quickly implement these agreement. I assure you this doesn’t create any dangers,” the PM said.
PM Pashinyan warned that Azerbaijan wants the regional connections to be opened in a way that Armenia remains blockaded. “This is a threat when the road opens, others have the opportunity to use these connections, and Armenia won’t. What do we mean? In case of opening of regional connections Armenia will receive railway and automobile connection with Russia through Azerbaijani territory,” Pashinyan said.
The PM added that today the entire Armenian economy depends on the Upper Lars road, and today this road is more overloaded because due to the situation in Ukraine a part of shipments which were previously carried out through the Black Sea are now done through this section.
He said that he wants the regional connections to be opened and that it isn’t impossible.
