The acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assured that changes in the status of any of Armenia’s sovereign territories are completely ruled out, and no issues of a corridor are being discussed, during the Civil Contract party’s final rally on Republic Square. “Statements made by Azerbaijan and Turkey about a corridor through Armenia cannot be considered anything but absurdity. We have clearly stated our position: economic regional communications must be opened, and in that sense, the countries will receive equal and proportional opportunities for transit and communication as described in the Moscow Declaration of January 11, 2021. The Republic of Armenia is ready to move forward consistently to implement the provisions of this statement.
This will be a strategic achievement not only for Armenia, but the whole region, to open doors for peace, stability, and long-term development. Today, this perspective is hindered by the aggressive statements made by Azerbaijan and its destructive position, in particular, the fact that Azerbaijan continues to aspire to the territorial integrity of Armenia and does not fulfill its international obligations, such as returning our captive brothers. The return of our 15 captives, which took place a few days ago, gives us hope that we will have a significant change in the regional climate in the near future. There is no doubt that all our captured brothers will return home very soon. But it is important that the events in the humanitarian issues take place as soon as possible without anti-humanitarian and anti-human bargaining. Armenia expresses its readiness to take such steps forward.”
Speaking about another issue in the security sphere, the situation in the Sotk-Khoznavar sector, Pashinyan repeated what he had said during regional rallies: deployment of Russian peacekeepers along the border, demarcation with the involvement of international observers, the implementation of demarcation work. He urged people not to be afraid of the words “demarcation-delimitation.”
Hripsime Jebejyan
