Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the SCO+ format, responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statements regarding the so-called "Zangezur Corridor." He said that "the vocabulary used by Aliyev does not align with the logic agreed upon in Washington."
Aliyev had earlier stated on the same platform: "I am confident that the 'Zangezur Corridor' will soon become another important section of the Middle Corridor and the North-South Corridor, strengthening peace and multilateral cooperation, benefiting countries to the east, west, north, and south of Azerbaijan—both near and far."
Pashinyan responded: "I want to inform that the vocabulary used by the President of Azerbaijan is not understood by us within the logic we agreed upon in Washington. Notably, under those agreements, Armenia and the U.S. will implement an investment communication project named 'Trump’s Path for International Peace and Prosperity.' This project stems from the Republic of Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, for which Armenia and the U.S. signed a bilateral memorandum to promote development and investment."
He added that Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently discussing the opening of transport links between the two countries based on the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction. These efforts include ensuring unimpeded communication through Armenia between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, with mutual advantages for international and domestic connectivity.
"I also want to emphasize that in the declaration adopted by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, specific terminology was agreed upon. I believe using clarified and agreed-upon terminology will help foster a constructive environment and facilitate further progress," said Pashinyan.
He also highlighted the joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Pakistan, expressing appreciation to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif.
"This year, China’s presidency of the SCO is held under the theme 'Year of SCO Sustainable Development,' which also includes addressing urgent challenges to biodiversity and the natural environment as an integral part of sustainable development and the global environmental agenda."
"As the host and presiding country of the COP17 conference under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in 2026, Armenia will make every effort to promote the goals of the conventions, their protocols, and the global framework," he concluded.
This was the first meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan since the preliminary signing of the peace agreement, taking place during the Shanghai summit. "Both leaders highlighted the positive momentum shaped by the recent summit held in Washington, which reflects international support for advancing peace and normalizing relations," a joint statement read.
On the same day, during a meeting with China’s president, Aliyev stated: "Negotiations between Yerevan and Baku on normalization and peace are proceeding bilaterally, and peace has already been established between the two countries."
