UNGA: Pashinyan urges clarity from Aliyev over mislabeling Trump Route as ‘Zangezur corridor’
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in his address during the UNGA General Debate, stated that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ought to explain his use of the term “Zangezur corridor” in reference to what has been agreed upon as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Pashinyan said that the so-called “Zangezur corridor” expression has never existed in official talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijani President, with whom we adopted the Washington Declaration, has since repeatedly— including from this very rostrum—used the term ‘Zangezur corridor.’ No such expression exists in the documents agreed upon in Washington, nor has it ever existed in Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations or official documents. I believe it would be appropriate for my Azerbaijani counterpart to explain what he means by using that expression, because in the Armenian reality it is perceived as a territorial claim against Armenia and is associated with a conflict narrative,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.
He emphasized that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a clear framework and narrative under the Washington accords.
“Questioning commitment to these agreements through other narratives—like those voiced from this rostrum—is incomprehensible to me. Such rhetoric does not increase public confidence in peace and does not stem from the atmosphere of peace or from the agreements reached at the highest level,” Pashinyan added.
In response to Aliyev’s statement describing Armenia as having “capitulated,” Pashinyan said:
“To be honest, I don’t understand the circulation of aggressive undertones that have no connection to objective reality, especially in a context where there is an enormous amount of positive progress achieved through joint efforts. Isn’t peace supposed to bring enough joy and satisfaction? It does for me.”He added that he takes joy in Armenia’s rapid development as an independent, sovereign, and democratic state, building its own future without harboring or promoting hatred toward its neighbors.
“I call on the international community to take note that the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’ and similar narratives do not stem from the agreements we have reached. They have no relation to those agreements, have a negative and aggravating impact, and are perceived as territorial claims against a sovereign country—despite the progress we have made,” he concluded.