Ilham Aliyev: Armenia must open free passage to Nakhchivan

Maria Novoselova/Vestnik Kavkaza

At a meeting on transport issues, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that it is impossible to imagine the transport map of Eurasia without Azerbaijan and its transport infrastructure.

He stressed that the East-West and North-South transport corridors currently run through the country, and the volume of cargo transported along these routes is increasing annually.

The President noted that Azerbaijan is taking practical steps to open the Zangezur corridor. The President added that the Zangezur corridor is a widely accepted term in the world.

Speaking about Armenia's "Crossroads of the World" initiative, Ilham Aliyev stated that this so-called project is worth nothing without Azerbaijan. He noted that in order to implement the initiative, Yerevan should first of all turn to Baku.

The President described Azerbaijan's conditions as fair, based on international law, and consistent with Armenia's own obligations. He called on Yerevan to provide free passage to Nakhchivan.

"There must be smooth and unrestricted passage from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan, without any inspections or obstacles",

Ilham Aliyev said.

The head of state also noted that Azerbaijan faced difficulties during the implemention of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project. He added that the USA particularly opposed this project, c The reason was again their pro-Armenian policies because it was believed that this project would exclude Armenia, the President said.

Aliyev recalled that the Georgian leadership at the time faced heavy pressure from the USA to abandon the project. However, Baku and Tbilisi were able to reach an agreement after several years of negotiations.

© Photo :Maria Novoselova/Vestnik Kavkaza
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