Armenian Foreign Minister reports progress in efforts to unblock regional communications
YEREVAN, June 15. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Wednesday that some progress was made in efforts to unblock transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Speaking at a government Q&A session in parliament, Mirzoyan reiterated Armenia’s interest in unblocking transport and economic infrastructures of the region.
‘Obviously, infrastructures need to be unblocked under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass. They should be opened on the basis of equality and reciprocity," Mirzoyan said.
"These issues are being intensely discussed at the level of foreign ministers and leaders of both countries and my subjective impression is that some progress has been made, especially during the last meetings of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and his Russian and Azerbaijani counterparts, but there is no final result yet and, unfortunately, Grigoryan cannot make relating public statements. But I would like to repeat that Armenia is very interested in restarting these infrastructures, including within the framework of Turkish President's statement on joining the Beijing-London logistics corridor or other corridors," Mirzoyan said.
Earlier, Grigoryan commented on Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk's statement that Armenia would decide whether it would need help from Russia's Federal Security Service to exercise border and customs control (on Armenian-Azerbaijani border).
"There is a clear position that customs and border control will be carried out in accordance with our legislation and by our authorized bodies. I can't say anything else, the discussions are not over yet," Grigoryan said.
Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan reached an understanding on the steps to restore the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway connection during their 12th meeting in Moscow on June 3.
According to the estimates of the Armenian Ministry of Economy, the construction of Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railroad may cost $1.2 billion. The construction of the 43-km long railway section through Armenian Meghri may require about $200 million.
If this plan succeeds, Armenia will get access to Iran and Russia through this railroad, and Azerbaijan will get a railway connection with Nakhichevan through Armenia.
Yeraskh is a settlement in Armenia's Ararat region bordering Nakhichevan; Meghri is a town in Syunik (south of Armenia, bordering Iran and Azerbaijan). Sadarak, Julfa, Ordubad and Horadiz are towns in Azerbaijan. -0-
