12:53,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia hopes to conclude a peace agreement and establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in the “coming months”, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his speech at the 4th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum on October 26.

Pashinyan also unveiled the Crossroads of Peace concept developed by his administration.

“The key meaning of this project is the development of connections between Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran, through restoring, building and launching roads, railways, pipelines, cables and transmission lines,” he said.

The project is based on the principles of respect of sovereignty of the countries.

“Principle number one: All infrastructures, including roads, railways, air routes, pipelines, cables and transmission lines will function under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through the territory of which they pass. Principle number two: Each country will implement border and customs control on its territory through its state institutions, and will ensure the security of the infrastructures, including the safe passage of goods, vehicles and persons. By the way, soon a special division will be created in the Armenian law enforcement system with a function of ensuring the security of international connections passing through Armenia and safety of the passage of goods, vehicles and persons, jointly with our patrol police of course. Principle number three: the abovementioned infrastructures can be used for both international and domestic transportation. Principle number four: All countries will use each other’s infrastructures by the principle of equality and reciprocity. Some simplifications of border and customs control procedures can be carried out under the principle of equality and reciprocity,” Pashinyan said, adding that the Armenian government is ready to open, reopen, rebuild and build all regional connections based on these principles.

He said that the mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan – with Armenia’s territory recorded as 29,800 square kilometers and Azerbaijan’s 86,600, is one of the significant principles for peace. The border delimitation should be carried out based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration, Pashinyan reiterated.

“As I said, we hope to sign an agreement on peace and establishment of relations with Azerbaijan in the coming months based on these principles. I hope that soon there will also be developments in the direction of opening the border between Armenia and Turkey for citizens of third countries and diplomatic passport holders, which will also bring a positive signal to the whole region,” Pashinyan said.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov also participated in the forum.