Regional connections still not unblocked because of some Russian officials, says PM

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has blamed comments made by some Russian officials for the fact that regional connections are still closed. 

Pashinyan was asked to comment on the foreign ministry’s latest statement responding to Russia. A reporter asked Pashinyan whether the reaction meant that Yerevan is planning to abandon the November 9 statement. 

“If Yerevan were to have intentions on abandoning the November 9 statement, it would announce those intentions,” Pashinyan said.

“What happened in Nagorno-Karabakh is beyond any wordings that we have in November 9 statement, and I think the foreign ministry gave a proper response. The statement that was the occasion for the foreign ministry’s reaction attempted to say that the regional connections are not opening because of Armenia’s sabotage. I can say that the regional connections haven’t opened until now because of comments made by, inter alia, several partners in Russia, comments that have nothing to do with the logic of the document and which contradict it. Furthermore, the comments quite often contradicted the Russian President’s 2020 November 9 or 10 decree’s wording, which I have talked about on several occasions,” Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia is interested in opening regional connections. He denied sabotaging the issue.

PM Pashinyan said some Russian officials have endorsed his Crossroads of Peace project on the opening of connections. However, he said, there are misinterpretations among several ministries.

Armenia is ready to implement the project as soon as possible, Pashinyan said.

Many world leaders have also expressed support to the Crossroads of Peace project, Pashinyan added.

“This topic is constantly manipulated, as to whether or not Armenia is ready to provide connection between Nakhijevan and Azerbaijan proper, yes, we are ready, we’ve said this before. Are we ready to record that some specificities exist in these connections, yes, we never denied this. But it is also obvious that no circumstance on Armenia’s sovereignty, jurisdiction and territorial integrity can be questioned,” Pashinyan said.