YEREVAN – Armenia continues to reject Azerbaijan’s demand for a land corridor through Armenian territory to connect with its Nakhichevan exclave, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said Thursday, following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s June 20 visit to Turkey.
Kostanyan confirmed that the issue was discussed during Pashinyan’s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul.
“We can affirm that the Republic of Armenia’s position—that all transport routes crossing its territory must remain under Armenian sovereignty and jurisdiction—has not changed in any way, despite all the speculation in the press before and after the visit,” he told reporters.
Addressing questions about the location of a potential Armenia–Azerbaijan peace treaty signing, Kostanyan stated:
“Armenia is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, regardless of the city in which it takes place. What matters to us is finalizing the content of the document.”
He noted that both Armenia and Azerbaijan have already outlined their positions on the peace treaty and that neither side has introduced new terms or revisions since then.
When asked whether Armenia expects Turkey to facilitate the peace process or encourage a more constructive approach from Azerbaijan, Kostanyan replied:
“I believe that over the past year, Turkey has sent generally positive public signals to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, indicating its interest in the normalization of relations and in the signing of a peace agreement.”
Kostanyan added that the Istanbul meeting also addressed broader issues, including bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as regional dynamics in the South Caucasus and the Middle East.
“It was noted that on several topics—especially those related to the Middle East—Armenia and Turkey share fairly similar positions. Regarding the opening of the Armenia–Turkey land border for third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports, both sides reaffirmed that the agreement remains valid. However, additional steps are still required to implement it. I believe the Turkish side’s position on this matter is well known,” he concluded.
