Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said that the Crossroads of Peace project can be combined with Türkiye’s stance. Speaking at a conference on Crossroads of Peace project, Pashinyan addressed the positions of various countries about the project.
In context of the opening of regional connections Pashinyan also spoke about the connection between Azerbaijan’s western regions and Nakhijevan. He underscored that Armenia is ready to provide that connection.
Pashinyan recalled that Azerbaijan has said it will use Iranian territory if Armenia doesn’t want to provide the connection under their terms. Pashinyan said that this narrative itself means that the terms offered by Iran for the Azerbaijan proper-Nakhijevan connection are acceptable for Azerbaijan.
“It is obvious that this option is acceptable for Azerbaijan. And we are saying that Armenia is ready to ensure the connection between Azerbaijan’s western regions and Nakhijevan under precisely the same terms. This is a very important emphasis for explaining the situation. Moreover, we are saying that we are ready to implement certain simplifications of passage and control for this connection, within the framework of reciprocity, equality, sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries,” the Armenian Prime Minister said, adding that this is a very constructive offer.
Pashinyan underscored that Armenia, however, cannot treat negatively the development of those connections through Iranian territory, because first of all Iran is Armenia’s neighbor and friend, and because it is a matter of sovereign relations between two countries.
Pashinyan said that Georgia and Iran endorsed the project, while Türkiye’s position can be combined with the project.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few countries that has clearly supported the Crossroads of Peace project,” Pashinyan said. Georgia is also among the countries that support it, he added.
In terms of Türkiye, according to Pashinyan, Türkiye’s stance can be combined with Armenia’s stance.
“Essentially the Crossroads of Peace can really be integrated into the Middle Corridor, which is one of the most important topics of Türkiye’s foreign policy. This is a very normal integration. It’s not that we created the project for it to be integrated into the Middle Corridor project, but it is integrating with it naturally,” Pashinyan said.
Speaking about his impression regarding Russia’s stance, the Armenian Prime Minister said:
“Transit routes have very significant economic, political, including foreign policy importance. Russia could have concerns. The passage of all those flows through this territory can be acceptable for it if it continues having some influence on the control of those flows, doesn’t matter what volume of influence.”
Meanwhile, Western countries don’t want the flows to mostly pass through Iranian territory due to several circumstances in the relationships, Pashinyan said.
