Armenia urges border openings with Türkiye, pursuing peace with Azerbaijan

By Muhammet Tarhan and Dilara Hamit

ANTALYA, Türkiye (AA) - On the normalization process with neighboring Türkiye, Armenia's foreign minister said his country wants the establishment of diplomatic relations and an increase in interactions between their peoples and cultures as soon as possible.

Ararat Mirzoyan told Anadolu at Türkiye’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), held early in March, that special representatives had been appointed for the normalization process between Armenia and Türkiye and that these representatives have had both face-to-face and telephone contacts.

Mirzoyan also mentioned phone calls between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, stating that there was constant contact, and that these help contribute to positive dynamics.

Mentioning how an agreement was reached to open the land border between Türkiye and Armenia for the use of citizens of third countries, Mirzoyan said that this would apply not only to citizens of third countries but also to diplomatic passport holders in Armenia and Türkiye.

Mirzoyan also stated that restoration of the historic Ani Bridge in Türkiye’s Kars province is underway and spoke of agreements on the construction of infrastructure and roads in border areas.

"As the Republic of Armenia, we sincerely want the opening of state borders as soon as possible. We want the establishment of diplomatic relations and an increase in interactions between people and cultures," he said.

When asked about the benefits of open borders between the two countries, Mirzoyan said this is crucial for citizens and the development of relations, especially economic ties.

- Negotiation process with Azerbaijan

Mirzoyan stressed their intention to use this opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the peace agenda, saying that they are continuing negotiations with their regional neighbor Azerbaijan to sign a peace agreement, and overall, are continuing the process to strengthen stability and peace in the Caucasus, particularly in the southern Caucasus region.

Acknowledging that there are some problems between the parties, Mirzoyan noted that they had reached agreements on some of them. He mentioned that there were different approaches between the parties on two important issues.

He said these issues firstly concern principles for determining the borders of the two countries and secondly regional connections and transportation lines.

He stressed that the parties want to reiterate the recognition of each other's territorial integrity and argued that the demarcation process should be based on the 1991 Almaty Declaration.

Stating that no one has the authority to draw new borders, Mirzoyan said Armenia wants this declaration to be included in the draft peace agreement.

Mirzoyan said they have not yet received a positive response from Azerbaijan on this issue.

He emphasized the willingness to open transportation routes in the region, saying that doing so would benefit them economically. Armenia is a landlocked country.

The top diplomat said they envisioned their proposed peace corridor project as economically significant and a guarantor of lasting peace in the region.

Mirzoyan added that they are opposed to third countries providing security for transportation routes passing through their country and argued that transportation routes in the region should be under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the country where they are located.

"Principles of equality and reciprocity are important. The process should be built on these principles," he added.

On his next meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, following their talks last month in Berlin, Mirzoyan said a date for the next meeting had not been determined yet.

He added they are in constant contact with his counterpart.

- 'Armenia must follow through on its international commitments'

In response to Mirzoyan's interview, Aykhan Hajizada, the head of the Press Service Department of Azerbaijan stated that Armenian foreign ministers "assertions", geared toward misleading the international community, and did not reflect the real situation.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who emphasizes the importance of recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity, prominence of the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991 in the issue of the delimitation of borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the significance of respecting the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction and equality of countries for the establishment of transport links and economic relations in the region, regrettably, tries to cover up 30-year-long violations of the aforementioned principles by Armenia that he represents," the statement said.

Hajizada also reminded that Armenia had not withdrawn occupying forces from the territories of Azerbaijan after the 44-day Patriotic War, stressing that it was a violation of the provisions of the Trilateral Statement.

"[Armenia] continued to transfer weapons, military equipment, and landmines to these territories, and committed other gross violations and provocations, as well as issued statements promoting the puppet regime, testify to its true intentions," he added.

"Armenia's refusal to open communication lines under various pretexts in violation of the agreements and obligations over the last three years, failure to offer any practical solutions to reach an agreement on the issue, and making just a handful of populist remarks are among the factors that undermine regional cooperation," the statement added.

Hajizada also added that Armenia must follow through on its international commitments instead of making provocative and politically manipulative statements against Azerbaijan and added that it must contribute to the peace process not in words but in deeds.