Armenia ready for reopening of transport links with Azerbaijan- prime minister
YEREVAN, October 1, /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a televised interview on Friday that transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan would have been reopened long ago if Azerbaijan had not made aggressive statements and territorial claims against Armenia.
"Overchuk (Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, co-chair of the Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian working group set up to handle the resumption of transport and other links between Armenia and Azerbaijan) asked us whether we were ready to reopen transport links. Our answer was that we are not only ready but we want it. And in order to show our desire, we even gave a name to this project, calling it - "Armenian Crossroads". That's how we want to show that we consider this matter important to us," he said.
Pashinyan said there is a need to reach agreements on the legal use of roads: there is an agreement in principle that the roads will operate within the sovereignty of the countries they pass through and there should be border, customs and passport control.
However, Pashinyan noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan have similar concerns: both countries do not want their citizens to face the border guards of the neighboring country in a conflict situation when crossing the border.
"As a matter of principle, there is an understanding that this issue needs to be resolved, but how to do it? We proposed to delegate customs and border services for citizens of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the border 9to another country), as they do in Europe. If Azerbaijan agrees to this, we can move forward. I say this officially," he said.
The Premier also stressed that no stamps can be put in the passports at the border; such practice exists in the world. Turning to the route of the road, he said Armenia has never put any restrictions.
"If it is our project, we should be interested in the shortest possible route to establish international communications so that Armenia has high incomes from these transit flows. This road, including the railroad, will have the maximum flow if it is short, not restricted by weather conditions and be safe," he said. -0-
