Norayr Norikyan, chairman of the Fair Armenia party, commented on reports by Factor.tv about three documents reportedly set to be signed in Washington between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States: Armenia’s withdrawal from the OSCE Minsk Group, a framework agreement, and TRIPP.
He said he is closely following the negotiations and noted that, according to the reported details, “this road would be used by everyone except Armenian citizens.”
“If this information is accurate, it means Armenian citizens will not be able to use that road. According to the reports, the road would connect the Republic of Azerbaijan, Nakhichevan, and Turkey. This means we would not be able to travel through Azerbaijan’s territory to reach Central Asian countries, nor use rail routes via Nakhichevan to, for example, travel to Meghri. Then the question arises — why are we giving Azerbaijan a link between Nakhichevan and Turkey if Armenia remains blockaded, if no peace agreement is signed, if Azerbaijani troops do not withdraw from Armenia, and if for a year and a half the border delimitation and demarcation process has been at a standstill?
This U.S.-led process is creating a new security architecture in the region. Essentially, we are seeing a U.S. leadership initiative in the region, which represents Russia’s strategic defeat. Even the mere presence of the United States between Armenia and Iran — through some jointly formed consortium-level structure — establishes a new status quo in the region,” he said.
Norikyan stressed that if Armenia remains blockaded and without a peace treaty, such projects could only serve the interests of other states, shifting the regional balance of power.
