Armenia ready for reopening regional transport links at any moment on basis of regional countries' sovereignty - Pashinyan

YEREVAN. Sept 13 (Interfax) - Armenia is interested in the implementation of regional economic projects based on respect for its own sovereignty, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"We are for the use of the Horadiz-Meghri-Ordubad-Yeraskh railroad [which connects Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nakhichevan]. We believe that it is a very important project for Armenia. We are for the unblocking of regional transport communications. We want to see Azerbaijan and Turkey being able to communicate through Armenian territory. We do not mind any oil pipelines, gas pipelines, electrical transmission lines running through Armenian territory and we are interested in these programs," Pashinyan said during a government Q&A session in the parliament on Wednesday.

"All of this should happen on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of both Armenia and other countries," he said.

Any statements that question Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable, he said.

"In the trilateral statement [on Karabakh signed by the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders on November 9, 2020], the word 'corridor' is only used once and refers to the Lachin corridor. No corridors have been stipulated on Armenian territory. The word 'corridor' is sensitive to us because of the Lachin corridor. In terms of territorial claims, this word is unacceptable to us. But in Europe, various kinds of routes or ways are sometimes called corridors," he said.

Armenia is ready to start work to open regional transport ties as early as "tomorrow," he said.

"There has long existed a project for opening three Armenian border crossing points on the border with Azerbaijan," Pashinyan said.