Russia: Unblocking of Caucasus transport ties is key for peace

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia considers the unblocking of all transport and economic ties in the South Caucasus as one of the key tasks in the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said Thursday, May 19.

“We highly appreciate the activities of the Trilateral Working Group. Similar assessments were given by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia during their joint meeting with [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergei Lavrov on May 12 on the sidelines of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council in Dushanbe," Zakharova sayd.

"The co-chairs of the working group maintain regular contacts in order to develop solutions that would be acceptable to all parties. Last week, the Russian co-chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Yerevan, where, at negotiations with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, he discussed, among other things, the unblocking of communications in the region,” Zakharova said.

According to her, Russia consistently advocates the establishment of a bilateral commission for the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border with its subsequent demarcation with the advisory assistance of Russia.

The Deputy PMs of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan first meet in person on January 30, 2021 in Moscow to discuss new transport communications that would link Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. New rail and road routes in the South Caucasus are expected to connect the Azerbaijani Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan with the rest of the country, for which a road will be built through the territory of Armenia. There will also be road and rail routes through the territory of Azerbaijan to connect Armenia to Russia.