Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev has said that Armenia should ensure the security of the Zangazur corridor and provide all the necessary facilities for this.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg held at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on December 14.

“On Zangazur corridor I’d like to say that the proposal of the opening of this part of communication in the region is reflected in the Trilateral Declaration signed on November 10 last year, by the president of Russia, the prime minister of Armenia, and myself. So, it’s a kind of obligation for Armenia to provide all the necessary facilities,” he said.

He noted that at this stage an agreement was achieved on building the railroad connection from Azerbaijan through Armenia to Nakhchivan and also an agreement on construction of the highway. The president added that the exact route of the highway has not yet been identified, noting that it is a matter of future discussions.

Aliyev emphasized that with respect to the legal regime of the Zangazur corridor, it should be exactly the same as the Lachin corridor.

“With respect to the legal regime of the Zangazur corridor, it should be exactly the same as Lachin corridor, because in the trilateral statement it clearly says that Azerbaijan provides security and unimpeded access for connection between Karabakh and Armenia and Armenia should provide the same unimpeded access and security for connections between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic,” he said.

He underlined that as today there are no customs checkpoints on the Lachin corridor there, therefore, there should be no customs on the Zangazur corridor.

“If Armenia would insist on using their custom facilities to control the cargos and people, then we will insist on the same on the Lachin corridor. This is logical and the decision is to be made by Armenia. We are ready for both options. Either no customs on both [corridors], or both customs [checkpoints] on the two,” he said.

Aliyev stressed that it is really a big opportunity for the region, to integrate the regional transportation links, as the Zangazur corridor is not only for Azerbaijan to get access to Nakhchivan but also for Armenia to get a railroad connection with Iran through Nakhchivan, and with Russia through Azerbaijan.

“So, it really will create a special positive atmosphere in the region and the win-win situation for everyone. Therefore, I think that the evaluation of these opportunities is very important. The proper evaluation is important in order to plan our peaceful future,” he said.

Cooperation with NATO

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan proved to be a reliable partner of NATO, Aliyev stated that future plans of cooperation were also discussed during the bilateral meeting.

“Azerbaijan participates in NATO’s military training, at the same time, with one of the active and leading NATO members, Turkey, we had seven joint military trainings only this year, and this actually is serving the cause of peace and stability in the region,” he said.

The president noted that today Azerbaijan is a reliable supplier of natural gas to four NATO members, adding that he is sure that in the coming years the number of them may grow.

“It is also important for regional stability, security because energy security is already a part of a national security of the countries,” he said.

Noting that they discussed with the secretary-general the post-war situation in the South Caucasus, Aliyev underlined that Azerbaijan is committed to peace, stability and predictability, adding that the country’s efforts are aimed at minimizing risks of any new war in the region.

“For that purpose, the best way is to open communications to establish active dialogue, and to learn to be neighbors again. Our policy is very open and straightforward and I hope that if there is goodwill from the Armenian side we can start as we proposed working on a peace agreement between two countries and to put an end to hostility,” he said.

“In general we are very glad of having this high level of interaction with NATO and we are very glad that NATO appreciates our efforts. We agreed today to continue joint efforts for the benefit of the region and security in the world,” he said.

In turn, Jens Stoltenberg noted that Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation has been strong over many years, added that today it covers many areas from capability development to energy security.

“NATO allies have also assisted you with the destruction of redundant mines and ammunitions from the former Soviet army,” he said.

He stressed that security and stability in the South Caucasus are “important for all of us”.

“To ensure a peaceful future for all people, we support the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia which are both valued partners to NATO,” he said.

Cooperation in Afghanistan

The secretary-general stressed that Azerbaijan made important contributions to NATO’s former mission in Afghanistan.

“Azerbaijani forces played an important role providing security at Kabul airport during this summer evacuation,” he said.

Stoltenberg noted that NATO allies managed to airlift more than a hundred and 20,000 people to safety in a matter of days.

“So, thank you for all your efforts and your support,” he said.

In turn, President Aliyev recalled that Azerbaijan started its peacekeeping duties in Afghanistan in 2002, and ended in late August 2021. He added that Azerbaijan’s servicemen were among the last servicemen of coalition forces who left Afghanistan.

Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO strongly believes that it is important to continue to normalize the Azerbaijan-Armenia relationship. He underlined that NATO supports the efforts towards this goal.

“We support the diplomatic efforts, we support the trilateral efforts and we strongly support the normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

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