Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia has most interest in the reopening of connections in the region and none of the other countries, neither Azerbaijan nor Turkey need those roads more than Armenia.
The PM made the remarks in parliament during questions time when asked by MP Shirak Torosyan about the EEU and the opening of regional connections.
PM Pashinyan said that Armenia has a single land link with the EEU, the Upper Lars, with objectively insurmountable problems related to avalanches, weather, and floods.
“Certainly, now our Georgian colleagues have initiated the construction of a tunnel which will mostly solve the problem. But on the other hand, of course we understand that the opening of connections in the region, particularly the Armenia-Azerbaijan railway and the opening of the roads will significantly increase our trade turnover with the EEU and not only the EEU,” Pashinyan said.
PM Pashinyan said Armenia is interested and ready to implement the terms of the November 9 statement in this regard.
“We are the ones who want those roads to be opened the most, and it’s the others who are resisting. We are the most interested ones, because it’s us who were blockaded for thirty years, no one else needs these roads more than us, neither Azerbaijan nor Turkey. They have alternatives to all roads. And since everyone understands that we need those roads the most, they try to raise the price of opening the roads for us. We are saying ‘no’, let’s accurately implement what’s been written in the 9 November trilateral statement. And don’t attribute to the 9 November trilateral statement what hasn’t been written in it,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan said that the Azerbaijani President himself has recently noted that the clause 9 of the 9 November statement doesn’t mention any corridor.
“This says it all. There’s no mention of a corridor, there’s no mention of limiting Armenia’s sovereignty, there’s no mention of limiting the application of Armenia’s legislation. We are ready to implement, launch all the actions literally tomorrow,” Pashinyan added.
