If Armenia can import goods from China by rail through Azerbaijani territory, there is no reason to mock the prospect, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said while presenting the TRIPP agreement in parliament.
The opposition says TRIPP will connect Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan, and that is true, but it will also connect Armenia to China, Mirzoyan stated.
Strong Armenia faction lawmaker Lena Matevosyan said the authorities were rushing to ratify the TRIPP agreement and begin construction even though the peace treaty with Baku has not yet been signed or ratified, Factor.am reports.
“Without achieving a comprehensive settlement, Armenia is fulfilling another key demand from Azerbaijan, while securing no advantage on the ground. Neither has the issue of returning prisoners been resolved, nor are there guarantees of peace, nor has the issue of withdrawing Azerbaijani troops from our sovereign territories been addressed. Is this not another unilateral concession and a loss of negotiating leverage?” the opposition lawmaker asked.
Responding to the criticism, Mirzoyan suggested identifying the specific provision of the document under which Armenia had made any concession.
“Our interests require us to be able to ship goods as soon as possible, for example, to China, and receive goods from China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as engage in bilateral trade with Azerbaijan.
“You say we are connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan. That is true. But are you forgetting that we are also connecting Armenia to China? If we can bring goods from China by rail through Azerbaijani territory, what is there to mock? This is a mutually beneficial project,” the minister emphasized.
Mirzoyan also recalled that Armenia had already begun using the opportunity to transport freight through Azerbaijani territory.
“Even before the railway is built in the south, through which Azerbaijan will send goods to Nakhchivan, Armenia is already receiving and dispatching freight through Azerbaijani territory. How is it that they benefit while we fall behind?” he said.
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations is discussing the ratification of the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the United States concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.
