There is No Alternative to Peace Between Azerbaijan and Armenia: The Solution is to Build a Common Road, Overchuk

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk spoke to TASS during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) about the obstacles to unblocking transport communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

- Earlier, you mentioned that Russia was making significant progress in reaching an agreement on unblocking transport communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia. When, in your view, can all disputed issues be finally resolved? - the agency asked, to which the Russian Deputy Prime Minister responded:

“We held a meeting in a trilateral working group format between the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, and the Russian Federation, resulting in the formation of a comprehensive document. It states that the unblocking of transport links in the region will begin with the restoration of the railway that will run along the Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz route, and based on respect for the sovereignty of the parties, it defines the main approaches concerning the procedure for crossing the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Neither side questions that specific segments of this road will be under the jurisdiction of the country where they are located. Thus, in connection with this road, Azerbaijani legislation will apply in Azerbaijan, while Armenian legislation will apply in Armenia. It may seem obvious, but given the relations that have developed between the two states and peoples, all this must be formalized.

There have been no connections between Armenia and Azerbaijan in modern history; there has been a war, which ended with the direct involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, armed clashes still occur at the border between the two countries, and people are dying. Of course, it is very difficult for my colleagues to work in such an environment, but they feel their historical responsibility for the decision entrusted to us by our state leaders to develop and continue working on unblocking transport communications.

It is hard to find examples in the world where warring parties have sat down at the negotiating table and started discussing the restoration of transport links almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities. In our case, everyone understands that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia has no alternative, and the best way to achieve peace is to open the opportunity for peaceful cooperation among people, to build a common road along which people and goods will travel, life will normalize, trade will resume, and gradually old grievances will fade into the background.

Our trilateral working group of Deputy Prime Ministers has developed a unique format of relations. It greatly helps that we come from the same large country, learn from the same textbooks, watch the same films, understand the same humor, and thus find a common language on a human level. It is precisely this non-material value that creates hope and helps to move forward. Reflecting on the work of our group, one realizes how important it is for peace in our common Eurasian home not to lose that commonality in the post-Soviet space and to pass it on to future generations.

He noted that the biggest challenge is trust and added:

  “It is for this reason that the negotiations are proceeding slowly. After all, ordinary people, Azerbaijanis, Armenians, and citizens of other countries will travel the road. How will they interact with each other when crossing the border, and how will their safety be ensured while moving through another country? This is the main question today that we want to answer together so that we are assured that nothing bad will happen to these people in the territory of another country. And of course, we are all affected by what is happening at the border now. It would be much easier to find solutions if the gunfire would stop.”