Eduard Azaryan Responds to Aliyev's Statements

Ilham Aliyev's recent destructive statements should not be linked to either Washington or Sochi negotiations. This was stated by Eduard Azaryan, the head of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee, in response to the Azerbaijani president’s remarks, reported by ‘Azatutyun.’

“The President of Azerbaijan has not particularly stood out in the context of the entire negotiation process, especially during the post-war period; he has not been noted for constructiveness. I think there is no point in linking it to the Washington process, the Sochi process, or any other process,” Azaryan said.

Aliyev had stated in Shushi that the “Zangezur corridor” is an obligation that Armenia has taken on. Armenia has never undertaken such an obligation, emphasizing that it concerns the unblocking of roads, reaffirming the statements previously made by official Yerevan that the corridor is a red line for Armenia. Azaryan stated, “Our position on this matter has never changed and will not change.”

Aliyev also drew parallels between the Lachin corridor and the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” saying, “For two years, we have not touched vehicles traveling from Armenia to Karabakh via the Lachin road and in the opposite direction. We have taken a commitment and are fulfilling it. Armenia has also taken on an obligation to ensure road connections between Azerbaijan's western regions and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It has been two years, and there is no technical-economic justification, operation, railroad, or road. How long should we wait?”

Azaryan responds that the trilateral statement of November 9 speaks of only one corridor, which is the Lachin corridor. “The Lachin corridor is not comparable in any way to what they call the ‘Zangezur corridor.’ It is about the unblocking of transportation routes, and our position on this matter has not changed and will not change.”

A significant portion of Aliyev’s speech was also devoted to presenting the capabilities of the Azerbaijani military, effectively threatening Armenia with a new potential war. Moreover, the Azerbaijani president asserted that Azerbaijan is restrained not by some statement from Armenia’s patron but by Baku's “own policy.” The head of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee responded that Azerbaijan's threatening statements cannot influence or change the positions expressed by the Armenian side.