Azerbaijan on Thursday demanded that the European Union immediately end its border monitoring mission in Armenia.
“The deployment of forces of any third country on the territory of Armenia is a worrying factor,” Hikmat Hajiyev, the Azerbaijani president’s chief foreign policy advisor told reporters, adding that Baku “does not see any need for the participation of a third party in the delimitation process which is carried out in a peaceful and mutually agreed condition.”
“We do not see a need for the deployment of any European Union mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The activities of said mission must end now,” Hajiyev added.
“We do not consider the European Union mission to be a factor contributing to the consolidation of peace in the region. This is a factor of concern,” Hajiyev explained, adding that the EU monitoring is expanding and becoming permanent.
In a related matter, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Thursday again discussed a so-called land “corridor” through Armenia—referred to as the “Zangezur Corridor”—which Baku envisions will connect Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan. This controversial scheme put forth by Baku, and wholeheartedly supported by Ankara, has been opposed by the Armenian government.
“Azerbaijan is rapidly continuing work on its territory regarding the opening of the ‘Zangezur corridor,’ significant portion of the railway construction has already been completed. Work on the remaining part is ongoing,” Bayramov told reporters on Thursday.
Bayramov said that in accordance with the agreement reached with Iran, work on the construction of a bridge over the Arax River and the implementation of a route between the western territory of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan via Iran is underway.
Bayramov, once again, said that Armenia was not fulfilling its obligations under the November 9, 2020 agreement that ended the Artsakh War, adding that Baku anticipates that Yerevan will comply with the provisions of that agreement.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasized that the November 9, 2020 agreement does not envision a road through the territory of Armenia to Nakhichevan, instead, he has outlined, following the opening of transit routes between the two countries, Armenia will monitor the road, based on its sovereign laws.
Bayramov also told reporters that a draft peace treaty with Armenia consists of 17 articles, 15 of which, he said, have already been agreed upon by both sides, without elaborating on specifics.
“There are still unresolved issues regarding two articles,” Bayramov said. “Work on these open questions has been ongoing in recent times. Several rounds of negotiations have taken place, and drafts have been exchanged. A fully agreed version has not yet been reached. The work is ongoing.”
