Accusing Armenia of setting preconditions, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said the process of demarcation and delimitation of borders between the two countries will not be a simple. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan touted the benefits of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor.”
Bayramov told the APA news agency on Thursday that given the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the delimitation process will not be a simple as there are “sensitive moments.” He added, however, that Baku considers the formation of a commission to discuss the matter “progress.”
“The formation of commissions on determining borders was a complex process in itself. Armenia had preconditions. They demanded de-escalation measures and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani soldiers from the borders,” Bayramov told APA.
“However, Azerbaijan put forward its position. We believe that we stand on our borders and it is our duty to protect borders. This process should be conducted by analyzing historical and legal documents through negotiations with the participation of experts,” added Bayramov, who said the process cannot be completed in a short time.
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have agreed to form two commission, both of which are headed by those countries deputy prime ministers. Another commission is concurrently working on the process of opening transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a provision of the November 9, 2020 agreement.
For over a year, Azerbaijan is insisting on a land corridor through Armenia that would give it access to Nakhichevan. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has dubbed the scheme the “Zangezur Corridor.” Armenia has voiced it unequivocal opposition to the plan, while President Vladimir Putin of Russia has said that the opening of transport links must not infringe on either country’s territorial integrity or sovereignty.
Despite all this, both Baku and Ankara continue to insist that the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” is a done deal.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci touted the “benefits” such a corridor would bring to the region when speaking at the conference the Turkey-Azerbaijan Alliance, which was cemented last year when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to the occupied city of Shushi and signed a strategic agreement with Aliyev.
Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, who is leading both commissions on the Armenia side, said on Friday that there was no agreement on a new meeting of the working group tasked with advancing the process of opening transport links.
Grigoryan explained that last session of the working group was held on June 3, then on June 16, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a working meeting of the co-chairs was also held.
Grigoryan said, in response to a question from RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that tripartite working group, which has been operating for a year and a half, has held a dozen sessions, adding that two expert working subgroups also have been created to focus on issues of opening railway and road transportation.
“During these meeting, a consensus was reached regarding the restoration of the Yeraskh-Horadiz railway. During this time, it was also possible to bring the positions closer regarding a number of important functions of border and customs control. Now those efforts are continuing,” Grigoryan said.
The Armenian deputy prime minister did not elaborate on the specifics of the agreements.
Last month, Grigoryan had told the Russian TASS news agency that the efforts of the working group were constructive. However, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during a virtual press conference, last week said Azerbaijan’s approach to the process was not constructive, accusing Baku of attempting to legitimize “a new war against Armenia.”
“I don’t think there is a contradiction here,” Grigoryan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service about the differences in his and Pashinyan’s statements. “Yes, there are issues on which no consensus could be reached, there are rejected proposals, but there is also a working process, a platform where solutions are tried to be found. Of course, this is a difficult work, but we hope it will be effective.”
Grigoryan did not provide any details about a road connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan.