ArmInfo.The Crossroads of Peace project worries Azerbaijan, as this project can bring tens of billions of benefits to Armenia and can potentially create two problems for Baku. This was stated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the "Crossroads of Peace: combining security and democracy" forum in Yerevan on October 12.
"Firstly, if Azerbaijan sincerely thinks that Armenia has aggressive plans against Azerbaijan in the strategic perspective, this may create the impression that these tens of billions of dollars can be used against Azerbaijan.
But the opposite is also true: if Azerbaijan has aggressive intentions towards Armenia, it may be concerned that these tens of billions of dollars can be used to increase Armenia's defense capability, and Azerbaijan may have problems implementing its aggressive plans against us," the Armenian prime minister said.
In this vein, Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia does not have any aggressive intentions towards Azerbaijan or the countries of the region as a whole.
"We recognize the territorial integrity of all our neighbors and are ready to assume de jure obligations in this matter.
I will say more: Armenia has recorded that we do not even set ourselves the task of returning our occupied territories by military means, since the document that we signed with Azerbaijan in the process of border demarcation provides all the opportunities for the border demarcation process to take place on a legal, legal basis. In fact, we are creating all the guarantees, we will continue to follow this path so that none of our neighbors not only have doubts about the absence of aggressive intentions, but also have de jure mandatory guarantees that our country will not pursue an aggressive policy," the head of the Armenian Cabinet said. However, according to him, it is obvious that Azerbaijan wants Armenia's roads to be suitable for it, but at the same time, Armenia will continue to be blockaded. "This is an illogical approach in itself, it is unacceptable for Armenia," Pashinyan said, adding that Yerevan is ready to ensure communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Then the Armenian Prime Minister touched upon the "Crossroads of Peace" project itself, and stressed that it is in the focus of the interests of the Republic of Armenia.
At the same time, he rejected the claims of some politicians and experts that the project was somehow dictated from outside, from the outside world. "This is simply a consequence of an inadequate assessment of the situation, since Armenia is more than interested in this project," he said.
In this vein, he drew attention to the fact that 70 percent or more of Armenia's borders are immobile, do not serve to ensure the flow of goods, due to the closure of borders with neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, and the inability to connect to global infrastructure projects. "The meaning of the project is for Armenia to provide its territories and contribute to servicing the huge economic flows passing through our region. This project can be a blessing for our region, creating economic prerequisites for security and stability," Pashinyan said.
