Deputy speaker: Armenia separates Baku and Ankara talks, but sees mutual benefits

The Armenian government considers the resolution of relations with Azerbaijan and the normalisation of ties with Türkiye to be separate processes, while acknowledging that progress in one can positively influence the other.

Ruben Rubinyan, Armenia’s Special Representative for Armenian-Turkish Normalisation and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, made the statement concerning this development, as reported by Caliber.Az with reference to Armenian media.

“However, this does not mean that these processes do not influence each other. It is obvious that all these countries are located in the same region and can affect one another,” Rubinyan told Armenian Public Television. He emphasised that Armenia is confident that advances in normalising relations with Türkiye will inevitably benefit the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

Rubinyan also highlighted the reciprocal effect, noting that the significant progress in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process—particularly the developments recorded during the August 8, 2025, summit in Washington—would positively impact Armenian-Turkish relations.

He described his recent meeting with Turkish representative Serdar Kılıç as a confirmation of this interconnection.

The remarks come in the wake of recent diplomatic milestones following the Washington summit, hosted by US President Donald Trump, which brought together Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

During the summit, Aliyev and Pashinyan signed a joint declaration outlining a seven-point framework emphasising sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the renunciation of force. Additionally, the two countries’ foreign ministers initialled a draft “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations” in the presence of Trump, Aliyev, and Pashinyan.

A key component of this framework is the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), commonly referred to as the Zangezur Corridor. This transit route, passing through southern Armenia, is intended to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave and carries both strategic and economic significance for the region.

By Tamilla Hasanova