Aliyev: Armenia should choose between "cooperation and territorial claims"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has confirmed his country's readiness to start negotiations on a peace agreement with Armenia, calling on Yerevan "to make a choice between cooperation and territorial claims."

Aliyev made the remarks during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 23, TASS reports.

"The conflict is over, therefore Azerbaijan has already announced its readiness to start negotiations on a peace agreement with Armenia based on the delimitation and demarcation of borders, mutual recognition of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Aliyev said.

"Such an agreement could turn our region into a region of peace and cooperation. However, we still do not see a positive response from Armenia to our proposal."

According to him, transport projects can become one of the platforms serving peace and cooperation. The Azerbaijani President noted that the "Zangezur Corridor, which will connect the main part of Azerbaijan with the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic", will create new opportunities for the region in this context.

The Azerbaijani side has on multiple occasions spoken about a so-called "corridor" through the southern Armenian province of Syunik that would connect Nakhijevan to the rest of Azerbaijan. The Armenian side, however, has repeatedly denied being involved in negotiations for the provision of a corridor to Azerbaijan, stressing that they have only agreed to unblock transport communications in the region.