Without ‘Zangezur corridor’ Azerbaijan will not open border with Armenia, Aliyev says

Until Yerevan opens the Zangezur corridor, Azerbaijan does not intend to open the border with Armenia in any other place. This was stated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with local TV channels.

"If the route I named (Zangezur corridor) will not be opened, we do not intend to open our border with Armenia in any other place," Aliyev said.

According to him, the route proposed by Armenia, connecting the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan, is absolutely unsuitable, it will be impossible to use it throughout the year, as weather conditions and relief there are very harsh.

"The most correct option is to pass through Meghri territory. Back in Soviet times, a railway ran from there and a motorway was built," Aliyev said.

He particularly noted that both railway and motor road should pass through Meghri, and cargo and people should pass from one part of Azerbaijan to another without any checks.

At the same time, Aliyev called absurd the accusations that Azerbaijan would use force to open the Zangezur corridor.

"We waited for three years. We were accused of using force to open this road. Although it was an absurd accusation," he said.

According to the Azerbaijani leader, such rumours are spread by France.

"However, there are no grounds for this. And there are no preparations for this. And it is impossible to hide such preparation today," Aliyev said.

According to him, having seen after three years of expectations that the corridor is not opened, Baku reached an agreement with Tehran on an alternative route that will connect the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan. The President said that construction of the first bridge in the direction of Agbend settlement of Zangilan district (on the border with Iran) has already started, and the second bridge is planned to be built in the direction of Ordubad (Nakhichevan).

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