Pashinyan says Armenia and Azerbaijan may resume overland road links
YEREVAN, Dec. 21. /ARKA/. The use of the international automobile road from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea can give a fresh push to regional cooperation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said when addressing the 11th meeting of the Armenian-Georgian commission on economic cooperation, hosted by Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.
"Bilateral cooperation between Armenia and Georgia in the transportation area is a priority for us. We cooperate within the frames of a number of international transport structures, attaching great importance to the international transport route from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea and implementation of other relating initiatives. I think that the road connecting the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea can really stimulate regional cooperation, he was quoted as saying by the Armenian government press office.
According to him, there are two projects to connect the Persian Gulf with the-Black Sea: an overland road and a railroad.
"To develop the automobile route, we are building the North-South Highway, which connects the Armenian-Georgian border with the Armenia-Iran border… At the same time I would like to draw your attention to the fact that if we manage to reach an agreement with Azerbaijan on resuming overland communication, this project will significantly change, turning it into a North-South, East-West route," Pashinyan said.
According to Pashinyan, his meetings with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in Sochi and Brussels, mediated by Russia and the European Union, has opened an opportunity to reach an agreement with Azerbaijan on the resumption of road links.
"We have already reached an agreement in principle with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the resumption of railway communication. I mean the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Khoradiz railroad and we hope to complete this project in the next 2-3 years. Of course, we must work to ensure that our agreements are implemented," Pashinyan added.
The prime minister also downplayed the opinions of some experts that the opening of the railway connection may be disadvantageous for Georgia.
"I categorically disagree with this position because if the Armenia-Nakhichevan-Iranian Islamic Republic railroad is opened through Julfa, we will have the most efficient and optimal railway connection between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea. This is a key factor not only for development, but also for regional security," Pashinyan said. -0-
