RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has refuted claims that infrastructure in Armenia would be used under a 99-year lease agreement, stressing that land ownership will remain with the Republic of Armenia.
Mirzoyan stated that infrastructure will be accessible on a reciprocal basis according to clearly defined agreements already in place.
“Azerbaijan will gain access to our infrastructure, and naturally, we will gain access to theirs,” he said in an interview with Petros Ghazaryan, responding to a question on whether Armenian customs officers would inspect Azerbaijani cargo.
He clarified that before the infrastructure is operational, border demarcation must take place, during which the Armenian flag will be placed on one side and the Azerbaijani flag on the other. He emphasized the need to build border checkpoints equipped with appropriate customs services, adding: “How else would you imagine it? This will happen within the framework of both countries’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction, based on reciprocity. Everything is written down, and we have agreed to only what’s written—nothing beyond that.”
Mirzoyan highlighted that infrastructure passing through Armenian territory, including possible use by Azerbaijani trains, will remain the property of Armenia.
He dismissed the 99-year lease speculation as unrelated to any real agreement.
“There is an agreement on what has been written and published. As for timeframes or other technical details, those are yet to be discussed. Land ownership is not up for debate,” the minister said.
