Armenia's stable future requires establishing direct cooperation with neighboring states, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, as he presented the Civil Contract party’s election program for the upcoming elections.
"Regionalization plays a central role in this policy, with the main goal of making it not only possible but also comfortable for the Republic of Armenia to live within its own environment without external support. In this regard, the further development of relations with Georgia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Türkiye, and the Republic of Azerbaijan is of great importance, and the party will pursue this path," Nikol Pashinyan said.
Commenting on previous approaches to dialogue with Baku and Ankara, the head of government explained why the old format of contacts was ineffective.
"In our relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, we had almost always acted through third countries - in other words, 90% or more of our messages and agendas had been communicated via intermediaries," Nikol Pashinyan said.
He stressed that a third party may have its own perceptions, interests, and interpretations, so one can never fully know what those interests are.
"We have changed our approach. We have said: if we have something to discuss with Türkiye and Azerbaijan - and clearly we do - why should we not speak directly?" Nikol Pashinyan said.
According to him, the full unblocking of the region’s transport infrastructure, including both the implementation of the TRIPP project and the launch of the Gyumri-Kars railway, will not only further strengthen peace and cooperation in the region.
The Armenian government will contribute to the further development of the 3+3 format.
"The involvement of the Russian Federation in this format also makes it important for the constructive transformation of Armenia-Russia relations," Nikol Pashinyan said.
