We Do Not Accept Any Corridor Logic, Says Pashinyan

“Following the Brussels meeting on December 15, you announced that the Yerebuni-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway would be reactivated. After trilateral meetings organized at the initiative of the EU and the Russian side, specific results have apparently been achieved only regarding the railway. What is the main obstacle preventing an agreement on the unblocking of roads? Did Azerbaijan raise other demands during the closed-door discussions in Brussels?” In response to this question from Public Television, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated:

“I have outlined the ‘red lines’ of the Armenian side, which means that we do not accept any corridor logic. What we agreed on or discussed regarding the railways in Brussels was a summary of the conversation that started in Sochi. The recording of that agreement was that full customs and border control would operate from both sides, which is acceptable to us, acceptable to Azerbaijan, and we have now agreed to launch the construction of the railway. Our principled stance regarding roads remains the same.

However, in Brussels, the President of Azerbaijan and I tried to delve into the details, trying to understand what caused us to express such positions. The publicly stated positions are the visible side of the iceberg, but there are issues that lead us to express this or that position. When we entered into details, I saw the opportunity in those discussions where we could find certain solutions, where our positions and the purely practical issues raised by Azerbaijan could indeed receive solutions, but we do not have any agreements in this regard.

After that meeting, I saw certain possibilities, and we must try to use these opportunities to find a real compromise solution in this matter that does not cross our ‘red lines’ that I have mentioned.”