Building bridge without peace “very complicated” - Armenian PM to Tbilisi Silk Road Forum

Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian Prime Minister, highlighted the importance of peace at the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum by stressing it would be “very complicated to build any bridge” without it, and adding the South Caucasus region was in need of a “lasting peace”. 

The official stressed peaceful coexistence was the basis for his office developing the Crossroads Peace Project aiming to develop communications between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iran and other regional countries by modernising and building road infrastructures, oil and power lines. 

Pashinyan further noted the railway infrastructure crossing northern and southern territories of Armenia had been present for the past three decades for several routes connecting East and West.

Activation of these routes will be a short and efficient way to connect the Caspian and Mediterranean seas. With modern communications, this can become an effective way to connect the ports and other infrastructure of Georgia. It will benefit all countries in our region", he said.

The PM also noted his office was working on a draft agreement to ensure peace and normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan following their long-running conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, adding “we hope to have the process completed in the next few months”. 

I also consider it necessary to present two more additional aspects of the peace issue that we agreed with Azerbaijan - Armenia and Azerbaijan recognise each other's territorial integrity, sharing that the Azerbaijani side recognises its respective territorial boundaries” he told the event.

“This ensures that applications made by both parties will not leave any space for the other party not to recognise the territorial integrity of the country, except for the internationally recognised borders", the official added.

Pashinyan also noted the 1991 Almaty Declaration and said the 12 republics - including Armenia and Azerbaijan - that had signed it following the dissolution of the USSR had recognised each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty in their administrative boundaries at the time.