No Discussion and Cannot Be Regarding 'Extraterritorial Corridor': Russian Deputy Prime Minister

During the negotiations of the trilateral working group of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, there is no discussion and cannot be about an 'extraterritorial corridor' that might infringe on the sovereignty of one of the parties, said Alexei Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, in an interview with the newspaper 'Rossiskaya Gazeta'.

"It is important that during the negotiations, a principle has been developed that serves as the basis for approaches to defining that regime. The principle is as follows: 'Sovereignty over the road is exercised by the country through which this road passes.' This means that if the road passes through Armenian territory, then it is an Armenian road; if through Azerbaijani territory, then it is an Azerbaijani road. Russia has always defended the principle of the parties' sovereignty and clearly adheres to the positions of the leaders of the three countries as stated in the declarations of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021,' he noted.

When asked whether the trilateral working group is working to establish a crossing regime between Azerbaijan and Armenia that resembles what is typically seen between countries with normal relations, Overchuk replied, 'You are absolutely correct. We are working towards that.'