​​​​​​BAKU

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev urged Armenia to fulfill its obligations regarding the Zangezur Corridor, emphasizing its necessity for unhindered transit between Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave.

“We have no territorial claims against Armenia. However, Armenia must fulfill its obligations and ensure unhindered passage from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan).” Aliyev said in a meeting with transportation officials in Baku.

Aliyev accused Armenia of displaying a nonconstructive approach for more than four years and stalling the progress on the Zangezur Corridor by offering excuses and attempting to mislead the international community.

Referring to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “Crossroads for Peace” project, Aliyev said: “This so-called project is not worth two cents without Azerbaijan, and we have repeatedly conveyed this to the Armenian side through various channels.

"If you truly want to implement this project, first of all, you should approach Azerbaijan. Because without us, it is just a piece of paper," he added.

Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan, recognizing Armenia’s "insincerity,” reached an agreement with Iran to construct alternative routes bypassing Armenia.

“As a result, Armenia will remain a dead-end country, and their aspirations of becoming a transit state will never come to fruition,” he said.

Aliyev also discussed the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway. "I personally raised this issue multiple times with high-ranking representatives of the United States, emphasizing that they should not stand in our way.

"This is a strategic project for Azerbaijan, and other countries, including their own allies, will also benefit from it in the future," he said.

"Today, America's allies in Europe are highly interested in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway," he added.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul​​​​​​​