“Armenia offers Azerbaijan three roads through its territory” – details from an expert
What roads is Armenia offering Azerbaijan?
The National Security Service of Armenia has published a draft law “Three new checkpoints on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.” Two weeks ago, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan instructed the director of the NSS and the chairman of the State Revenue Committee to ensure unhindered passage from Azerbaijan through Armenia to Nakhichevan.
“We are still ready to provide this passage between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. It is Azerbaijan that is not using opportunities we provide. We are saying now – you may come and cross the Armenian border, drive to Nakhichevan in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, even today,” Pashinyan said.
If the bill is adopted, it is planned to establish checkpoints “from the town of Sotk in the Gegharkunik region towards the state border along the M11 highway, from Azerbaijan in the direction of Kelbajar, in the town of Yeraskh in the Ararat region to Sadarak, 7.5 km to south of the town of Karahunj in the Syunik region on the M2 highway in the direction of Gubadli”.
Political observer Tatul Hakobyan explains what Armenia proposes in order to replace the so-called “Zangezur corridor”, a measure on which Azerbaijan insists. Opinion expressed on Hakobyan’s Facebook.
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Armenia’s proposal to Azerbaijan is reasonable
“The National Security Council of Armenia has put into circulation a draft law according to which Armenia declares that it is ready to provide Azerbaijan with a road to Nakhichevan. The checkpoints and the area through which it is to be laid are clearly marked.
The project must still be approved, but there is no doubt that it will be, inasmuch as the project appeared after Nikol Pashinyan’s speech on August 4, in which he said that Azerbaijan could use Armenian territory at any time to go to Nakhichevan.
And he mentioned different territories. From Ijevan to Goris. But please note that he did not mention the area of Meghri – that is, exactly the site which Azerbaijan means.
I think that the Armenian authorities, or rather the National Security Council in this case, made a reasonable decision in offering Azerbaijan three roads. I will explain what I mean by reasonable.
The first of the roads is located on the Yeraskh-Sadarak section, which is the end of the Ararat valley. This is near the border between Turkey and Nakhichevan. If this section opens, Armenia will also be able to use this road, although in this case it is not about us, but about Azerbaijan.
So if two-way traffic opens, then Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Turks and others will be able to travel from Ygdir to Nakhichevan. And from Armenia it will be possible to travel in the same direction.
The second border crossing proposed by Armenia is the Sotk-Karvachar section, or, as it is written in the project, the Kelbajar-Sotk section. Kelbajar also came under the control of Azerbaijan after Armenia’s defeat in the 44-day war in Karabakh.
The third road is from Karahunj to Gubadli. This is a section below the Armenian city of Goris, which came under the control of Azerbaijan, the Vorotan-Eyvazlu section.”
This is not what Azerbaijan wants
“I don’t know how Azerbaijan will react. But that’s not at all that they want. Azerbaijan demands a corridor from us, while Armenia says flatly that it is not ready to provide it.
The November 9 tripartite statement ending the 2020 Karabakh war states that Armenia guarantees the security of transport between the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. It also provides for the unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and goods.
Azerbaijan interprets this paragraph to mean that unhindered movement will not be controlled by Armenia. The Armenian authorities say they are ready to unblock roads, but are not ready to lose sovereignty thereover. The term “corridor”, in Armenia’s opinion, suggests the loss of sovereign control.
It is difficult to say whether Armenia will be able to withstand this pressure. It also depends on external circumstances.
It seems that Armenia understood that the Armenian-Iranian border should not be lost. This is too high a price.
We must do everything not to lose our sovereign rights on the 45km section of the Armenian-Iranian border. Because if we lose that, we are not just losing ground, but the independence and sovereignty of Armenia itself.
Along with this, at the tripartite talks between Deputy Prime Ministers Mher Grigoryan, Shahin Mustafayev and Alexey Overchuk, Armenia agreed that Azerbaijan could use the railway along the Araks River. This was built in the 1930s and looted in the 2000s. Armenia will still need to rebuild this section. There is also an agreement to use the road, but it must remain under the sovereign control of Armenia.
In short, Armenia agrees that Azerbaijani goods, cars and people may pass from this point of the Armenia-Iran-Azerbaijan triangle to its territory.
The first inhabited place there is the town of Nrnadzor, which used to be called Nyvadi. And there they will be met by a Russian border guard.
Armenia has officially agreed to this – I am not making it up.
Then the Armenian customs officer will check them and, accompanied by a Russian convoy, will bring them to the Armenia-Iran-Nakhichevan triangle, that is, to where the 45km section ends. Here the road enters Nakhichevan, Ordubad region, its original Armenian name being Goghtn.”
When you say “no” in negotiations, you need to offer an alternative
“I think Armenia did the right thing by making this offer, because when you say no to some point in the negotiations, you need to offer an alternative.
An alternative has been proposed; now the ball is in Azerbaijan’s court. Let’s see what the reaction will be.
But the position of other countries, in particular Iran, Turkey and Russia, is also extremely important.
Russia is silent. Russia wants Azerbaijan and Turkey to use this road, because it knows that everything is under its control. And by keeping the road under Russian control, it will have leverage not only over Armenia, but also Azerbaijan and Turkey.
So the road along the Araks River is beneficial to Russia.
Another question is what Russia thinks of the sovereign rights of Armenia in this region.
Naturally, Azerbaijan promotes this idea and even bargains with Russia, saying: “If you control the corridor linking Armenia and Artsakh, then why can’t we have a corridor?”
That is, Azerbaijan is simply trying to ensure that it has an equivalent of the Lachin corridor. The desired corridor through the territory of Armenian Meghri in Azerbaijan is called the “Zangezur corridor”.
Russia’s role is very important here. If it supports the Armenian position, I have no doubt that the Turkish-Azerbaijani threat will be neutralized. But if Armenia is left alone, it will be very difficult for the latter.
Of course, Iran’s role is also important, which consistently says it will not allow the border between Armenia and Iran to be changed. But let’s be realistic and not rely too much on Iran.
Iran is a country that congratulated Azerbaijan on its victory in the war. The Iranian Foreign Minister went to Baku and congratulated them.
Now many in Armenia say that Iran will not allow the Iran-Armenia border to disappear. Previously, it was said that Iran would not allow Azerbaijan to attack and occupy territory near the Araks River, which had already passed under the control of Azerbaijan, namely the districts Zangelan and Jabrayil.
We gave ourselves hope. This is how the Armenian people got fed up with myths.”
What roads is Armenia offering Azerbaijan?
