President: ‘There must be an easy access from mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan, and this is our legitimate right’

“I think for Armenia there are two options now; either to start immediately at their own expense or with some European funds money to build the necessary 42 kilometers of railroad, which will be considered as a sovereign territory. We don't have any reservations with respect to their sovereignty, but there must be an easy access from mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan. And there should be no customs duties, no checks, no border security, when it goes from mainland to Nakhchivan. When it goes from other destination from the Eastern Caspian region to Armenia or even, yes, okay, of course, you can have all these customs duties as in any other country. But from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan, there should be no checks, no interference, and this is our legitimate right,” said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the Forum titled "Karabakh: Back Home After 30 Years. Accomplishments and Challenges" co-organized by ADA University and the Center of Analysis of International Relations, Report informs via AZERTAC.

“Actually, I can tell you that one of the issues, which we discussed in Brussels at the meeting organized by President Michel, was to use experience of the Russian Kaliningrad railroad connection. So, all that possible, it was just Armenia, which didn't want. They wanted to block us from this access. When they realized that we don't need it any longer, they started to complain. Even, we got some very strange statement from the U.S. State Department officials that the United States will not allow this to happen, if it doesn’t go through Armenia. So, what can I say? We wanted to do it through Armenia for three years. If you want to do it through Armenia, go and tell your new Armenian friends. So, how can you interfere into our relations with Iran? You say we will not allow it to be built through. How you will not allow? So, these irresponsible statements actually do not serve any good service to those who articulate them. Of course, it seriously deteriorates the stability and predictability in the region, including the connectivity projects,” the head of state underlined.