We are moving forward, we are working very actively, and we will move forward. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during a press briefing at the government building Thursday—and referring to the opening of communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“And yesterday, I said from the rostrum of the European Parliament that there is such a perception in Azerbaijan, in Turkey, that Armenia may try to delay. Why should Armenia try to delay? On the contrary, we want this issue to be resolved as soon as possible, without exaggeration, as soon as possible, because this is a fundamentally important issue from the point of view of implementing the architecture we envision for our present and future.

Again I want to reaffirm that we [i.e. Armenia] are ready to ensure the connection of the western regions of Azerbaijan and [its exclave] the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from Kornidzor via Yeraskh. Why are we making this proposal? Because now we are actually using the Azerbaijani railway, [but] we do not want our use to be one-way. We want to take our step in return for the corresponding step. Once we had proposed the Turkey-Azerbaijan communication, now we propose to ensure the connection from Kornidzor via Yeraskh between the western regions of western Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan and in the opposite direction. Especially in the conditions of the events taking place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as it seems there are problems with this connection in the south.

Moreover, why are we proposing this route? Because there is no other route, there is no other ready-made road. Moreover, if it is considered convenient, we can also ensure it via the Ijevan-Kazakh section.

We propose this first of all with the logic of strengthening peace. Today we are actually using the Azerbaijani railway. So, let it not be that we are using the Azerbaijani railway and thinking that they should not use our roads; no, we do not think so. We think that they should use [them]," added the Armenian PM.