News.am, Armenia
Jan 7 2021
16:53, 07.01.2021
Mane Gevorgyan, spokesperson of the Armenian prime minister, has commented—in response to Armenpress inquiry—on the statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who, citing the joint statement that was signed on November 10, has noted that the “Nakhchivan corridor” will open soon.
“Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly drawn the attention to the fact that there is no talk about a corridor connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan in the November 10 statement. Point 9 of the statement is about unblocking the transportation and economic infrastructure of the region and, in this context, also about establishing a transport connection between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Armenia, of course, is interested in the possibility of transporting Armenian cargo through the territory of Azerbaijan to the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the opposite direction. We are interested in the possibility of the transfer of the Armenian cargo through road and railway transportation to the Russian Federation, whereas to the Islamic Republic of Iran—especially through railway transportation. In this context, Armenia, naturally, is ready to ensure communication between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
However, the complete discussion of all these issues would be difficult without the complete fulfillment of the November 10 joint statement’s point 8, which envisages exchange of captives, hostages, other detained persons, and the bodies of the dead. The Armenian side attaches importance also to expanding the scale of ongoing search and rescue operations in the battle zone. The recent statements made by Azerbaijan on this topic are puzzling, and they question Baku’s commitment to implement the agreements of the November 10 statement. There are still Armenian captives in Baku, there are numerous evidences on cruel and humiliating treatment toward them. There is evidence on executions of the captives, and all this evidence must be investigated in detail, including in the international platforms.
At the same time, the anti-Armenian propaganda of the past decade still continues in Azerbaijan. In order to establish stability and peace in the region, it is necessary to put an end to the provocative actions and statements,” stated the Armenian PM’s spokesperson.