Russia urges Armenia to resume work on unblocking South Caucasus transport routes

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova addressed Armenia’s reaction to recent Russian media statements regarding the Zangezur corridor, expressing her perplexity at Yerevan’s response.

“We’ve always heard from Yerevan that Armenia is committed to freedom of speech, so their reaction to Russian journalists’ statements is puzzling,” Zakharova remarked, Caliber.Az reports via Russian news agencies.

Zakharova reaffirmed Russia’s official stance on the issue, emphasizing its commitment to unblocking all transport and economic ties based on trilateral agreements. “The official position of the Russian Federation is clear and well-known to Yerevan: Russia consistently supports the unblocking of all transport and economic links as agreed upon in the trilateral statements,” she said.

She also pointed to external influences as a factor in slowing progress. “The work of the Armenian side within the trilateral working group has been hindered by the destructive influence of the West,” Zakharova noted. She expressed optimism about the potential benefits of cooperation. “We firmly believe that the swift resumption of full-fledged interaction within the group will not only help restore the transport and communication system in the South Caucasus but also foster socio-economic development across the entire region.”

Zakharova assured that Russia remains ready to assist both Azerbaijan and Armenia in resolving these issues.

The remarks come in the wake of escalating tensions after Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin was summoned to the Armenian Foreign Ministry on January 15. A formal protest note was issued in response to a segment on Russia’s Vesti Nedeli program, which discussed the Zangezur corridor, regional communication openings, and Armenia’s support for EU accession.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over the program, claiming it featured “artificially generated narratives” aimed at undermining Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The report, aired on January 12 and presented by Dmitry Kiselev, delved into Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the opening of regional communications, and the Armenian government’s decision to align with the EU accession process, further fueling the controversy.

By Tamilla Hasanova