'No grounds to reject Yerevan's proposal on unblocking' – Pashinyan
Pashinyan on Armenia’s Proposals to Azerbaijan
“Armenia has received Azerbaijan’s response to the draft peace treaty, but proposals on other issues—such as the unblocking of communications and the introduction of a mutual arms control and verification mechanism—remain unanswered,” Armenia’s Foreign Ministry reported.
In light of this, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also had to comment on the current stage of Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations. Speaking to journalists, he confirmed that two out of the 17 points in the peace agreement remain unresolved.
Regarding the unblocking of regional communications, Pashinyan reminded that Yerevan had sent an official proposal to Baku last year but had not received the expected positive response. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated a few weeks ago that these proposals “have no practical significance.”
“However, other opinions have been expressed in Azerbaijan’s expert and political circles. Some have argued that Armenia’s proposal should be accepted and that it is a good solution,” Pashinyan noted.
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Peace process continues
“The fact that we have received the 12th draft of the peace agreement shows that the process has not reached a deadlock. Now we must submit our proposals—the process is ongoing. At the same time, it should be noted that the border delimitation commissions are also working. This year, they have already met once at the border, and another meeting was held online.
The statistics remain unchanged. The treaty consists of 17 articles—15 have been agreed upon, two have not. There may be varying degrees of disagreement, but these provisions [as a whole] are still not finalized. Therefore, work on them must continue.”
No provisions on constitutional changes or ‘corridor’ in peace treaty
“One of the two unresolved points in the agreement concerns the non-deployment of third-country forces along the border [referring to the EU civilian observer mission monitoring the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan—JAMnews]. The other relates to legal and diplomatic disputes and discussions in international bodies.
The draft peace agreement does not mention the issues you are referring to”[journalists had asked Pashinyan about potential amendments to Armenia’s constitution and the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”—JAMnews].
A few days ago, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Ziyafet Askerov, stated: “One of the unresolved points is the opening of the Zangezur Corridor. The second is Armenia’s territorial claims, enshrined in its constitution.” Pashinyan effectively dismissed Askerov’s claim.
Armenia ready to offer ‘simplifications’ for unblocking transport links
“We have proposed a solution for unblocking communications. It is very important to highlight this. And we hope that Azerbaijan will respond positively to this proposed solution.
To be honest, I constantly analyze the situation. I want to understand why Azerbaijan would react negatively to our proposal. Of course, I cannot speak on behalf of Azerbaijan, but an objective analysis shows that there are simply no grounds for rejecting this offer.
The proposal concerns the restoration of railway connections between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It would facilitate movement across Armenia’s sovereign territory—from Azerbaijan’s western regions to Nakhichevan, and from Yeraskh to Meghri. Both countries would gain the ability to use railways passing through their territories for international freight transport.
Currently, there is a connection between Azerbaijan’s western regions and Nakhichevan via Iran. Nothing obstructs this route. We are stating that we are offering the same conditions as Iran. And we are ready to introduce simplifications.
Why are we ready for simplifications? Because we, too, have the task of ensuring a railway link from Yeraskh to Meghri.”
Yerevan’s proposal acceptable for peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan
“Over the years, we have been in constant negotiations. Time and again, the proposals put forward at the time failed to alleviate our concerns or Azerbaijan’s anxieties. We analyzed the history of these talks to determine if there was an approach that could resolve all our issues. And we found such a formula.
I am eager to make these proposals public. I am convinced that the solution we are offering will be 100 percent acceptable to both the people of Armenia and the people of Azerbaijan. I am not disclosing details yet to avoid creating unnecessary tensions around this issue.”
Pashinyan promises to reveal proposal’s details once Baku responds
“I emphasize that we have not yet received an official response to our official proposal. As soon as we do, we will disclose the details of our proposals for two reasons.
If Azerbaijan accepts it, this will mean that we must move towards practical implementation, put it on paper, and sign it. This would indicate that the proposal has been agreed upon, allowing us to present it more openly to the public, our society, and the media.
If it is rejected, then in response to that rejection, we will be able to speak more openly about what we proposed.
I hope the proposal will be accepted. I repeat, this is not just a proposal—it is a solution to the problem.”
Decisions must be based on principle of reciprocity
“The Republic of Armenia has never, in any document, in any format—written or oral—committed, agreed, or recognized that regional unblocking could in any way infringe upon or limit Armenia’s sovereignty, jurisdiction, or territorial integrity. I want to make this absolutely clear.
The solutions we propose are based on the principle of reciprocity. I want us to remember that the integrity of Armenia’s railway network is ensured through the territory of Nakhichevan. This means everything should be viewed within this context.”
No Reasons or Preconditions for War
“In my assessment, there are no reasons, preconditions, or justifications for war or escalation in the region.
In essence, solutions have been proposed for all existing regional issues—some publicly, others at the diplomatic level.
Therefore, my assessment is clear: there are no grounds for escalation in the region.”
Pashinyan on Armenia’s Proposals to Azerbaijan
