Azerbaijan should have simplified access to Nakhchivan – Ilham Aliyev

Baku/06.12.23/Turan: Azerbaijan should have simplified access to Nakhchivan, Ilham Aliyev said at an international conference in Baku. "Armenia has two options: to build 42 km of railway (to Nakhchivan) at its own expense or with the money of European Funds. We recognize this as their sovereign territory, and we have no conditions in this regard. However, Azerbaijan should have simplified access to Nakhchivan. Therefore, there should be no customs duties, border procedures. This is our legitimate right," Aliyev said.

He noted that he discussed this with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels, mentioning the possibility of applying the experience of Russian railway communication with the Kaliningrad region (via Lithuania). However, the Armenian side did not want this, and Azerbaijan began implementing an alternative route through Iran. After that, the Armenians began to "complain" and a "strange" statement was made by the representative of the State Department.

"He stated that if the road does not pass through Armenia, they will not allow it. What does it mean? If you want the road to pass through Armenia, then tell your Armenian friends about it. How can you interfere in our relations with Iran? How can they not let us? (to build a road through Iran.)

Unfortunately, such irresponsible statements do not contribute to stability, complicate forecasting in the region, including the implementation of communication projects," Aliyev said.—06B-