Pashinyan explains why he thanks Aliyev on various platforms

Something significant has happened for Armenia, and the country must express its attitude toward it, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a briefing with reporters, responding to a question about why he has publicly thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on several occasions for enabling the transit of cargo through Azerbaijan, and whether this was an obligation or an attempt to underscore the peace process.

According to Pashinyan, a number of important changes have taken place. In particular, the ban on wheat imports was lifted, first for Kazakhstan, then for Russia and it was subsequently confirmed that there are no restrictions on rail transportation in the opposite direction from Armenia. In addition, new opportunities and conditions have been created for the sale of petroleum products.

“It would be strange not to express this, and I did express it. I believe it was the right thing to do to have it recorded on various platforms,” he said.

The prime minister added that he expressed his gratitude on multiple occasions, including during a session of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), noting that a railway connection had been established within the EAEU framework that did not previously exist.

According to Pashinyan, beyond assessing the scale of what has occurred, his intention was also to demonstrate that peace is a reality.

Pashinyan also expressed hope that exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan will follow”

“There should be no formal discussions at this stage. Businesses should reach agreements with one another. And if it turns out that the government needs to take steps to support those agreements, we will do so.”