Pashinyan ready to resume rail service between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey thru Crossroads of Peace project

YEREVAN. Dec 14 (Interfax) - Armenia is ready for effective steps towards restoring transport links with Azerbaijan and Turkey through the Crossroads of Peace project, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"We reaffirm the readiness to take specific, effective steps towards opening regional transport links. We are ready to restore rail service between Armenia and Azerbaijan within the framework of the Crossroads of Peace project initiated by the Armenian government," Pashinyan said at the Landlocked Developing Countries' Ministerial Meeting in Yerevan on Thursday.

A railroad line will connect Azerbaijan's Qazax with Armenia's Tavush in the north and western Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan in the south, he said.

"Western districts of Azerbaijan can also be connected to Nakhchivan by the northern route. The same applies to highways between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which may go by northern, middle and southern routes," Pashinyan said.

In addition, Yerevan is ready to resume rail service between Armenia and Turkey and to reopen two highways, he said.

"All of that will be significant for regional and international economic, cultural and political relations and global security. All communications, airways, pipelines, cables and power transmission lines should operate under the sovereignty of countries that they go through," Pashinyan said.

Each country should exercise border and customs control and ensure security of infrastructure, cargo and passengers via government agencies, he said.

"Therefore, the Armenian government has ordered establishing a special division at the National Security Service," Pashinyan said.