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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Baku, Yerevan, Moscow not discussing opening of Zangezur corridor, Armenian PM insists

Zangezur corridor is supposed to connect the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via the Armenia’s Syunik Province

YEREVAN, July 15. /TASS/. A trilateral commission of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia which includes the deputy prime ministers of the member countries is not discussing the possibility of opening the Zangezur corridor which connects the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan via the Syunik Province, acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated at a meeting of the government on Thursday.

"A working group at the level of the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia is conducting a constructive and effective work on opening regional communications. Odd statements by Azerbaijan on the so-called Zangezur corridor have nothing to do with the working group’s activity. Azerbaijan is making such statements in order to disrupt the operations of the working group and prevent the opening of regional communications," he clarified.

The Zangezur corridor is supposed to connect the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Zangezur (Armenia’s Syunik Province). Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev promised to achieve the creation of the corridor "regardless of Armenia’s desire" and talked about the readiness to resolve the issue through the use of force. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry condemned these statements, stressing that they harm regional peace and stability.

An agreement to unblock the regional communications was reached on January 11 at a Moscow-hosted meeting between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. At that time, it was decided to create this working group composed of the deputy prime ministers of the three countries which would focus on establishing transportation and economic ties in Karabakh.

In the fall of 2020, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh exacerbated with armed clashes occurring on the disputed territory. On November 9, 2020, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held, a number of regions would be controlled by Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region along the Lachin corridor.

Yerevan asserts that the November 9 joint statement does not involve the opening of the corridor from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Zangezur.

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