Any communication route should be under jurisdiction of country in  question - Arsen Avakyan 

ArmInfo. In an interview with ISNA, Armenia's Ambassador to Iran Arsen Avakyan  described the cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan in various political, economic and energy fields and said that "any communication route (corridor) should be under the jurisdiction of the country in question and based on the principles of mutual and equal action". 

Mr Avakyan touched upon the bilateral relations and cooperation  between Tehran and Yerevan and said:  warm relations between the  Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran are based on  good neighborliness. For Armenia, strengthening and deepening  relations with Iran are of particular importance.  This issue is also  mentioned in the 2021-2026 four-year plan of the government of the  Republic of Armenia. We can say with confidence that there is the  necessary political will and preparation between both sides to deepen  relations as much as possible.

The presence of the Armenian government at the highest level in the  farewell ceremony for the late Iranian president Mr. Sayyed Ebrahim  Raisi and his companions, as well as the presence in the inauguration  ceremony of the newly elected president Masoud Pezeshkian, shows the  importance of relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the  context of these trips, the Prime Minister of the Republic of  Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, in his meetings with the high-ranking  officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially in his meeting  with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, discussed the  existing interactions between Armenia and Iran and the prospects of  cooperation in the future has been discussed. Yerevan believes that  with the cooperation of the 14th government, new and more ambitious  programs can be planned in parallel with the implementation of  previous agreements.

In relation to the bilateral economic cooperation between Armenia and  Iran, it is definitely necessary to mention that despite the fact  that countless programs are currently being implemented, the  cooperation capacities of the two countries are much greater than  that. If they are realized, significant results can be achieved.

Armenia and Iran actively cooperate with each other in the  infrastructure sector. In the framework of this cooperation, the  construction of the 32-kilometer Kajaran-Agarak road in Armenia,  located on the route of the North-South road transport project, is  being carried out with the participation of Iranian companies. In  addition to the infrastructural importance, this project also has a  lot of meaning in terms of strategy, economy, civilization and  culture. This point will become one of the important crossing points  in the north- south transportation route and the Persian Gulf to the  Black Sea.

The next step in the development of bilateral economic relations is  to increase the transport capacity and use the large transit  capacities of the two countries. In order to achieve this goal, it is  necessary to implement practical measures to ensure the free movement  of passenger and cargo vehicles to Armenia and Iran, as well as the  renovation of the Moghri border crossing, which has been entrusted to  an Iranian company.

Armenia's ambassador to Tehran also emphasized that it is a fact that  strong bilateral economic cooperation is an important driver for  multilateral interactions.

He added: The geographical position of Armenia and the capacities  that exist due to this position make it possible for our country to  be Iran's natural bridge to the Eurasian Economic Union market. Our  government welcomes the signing of the free trade agreement between  the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran.

Any transportation route must be under the jurisdiction of the  country in question

In response to a question about the creation of the corridor claimed  by the Republic of Azerbaijan, this Armenian diplomat said: One of  the important guarantees of establishing peace and stability in the  region is the removal of blockages in transportation and economic  infrastructure, which is considered one of the priorities of the  Armenian government. The view and mindset of the Armenian government  regarding this issue are reflected in detail in the plan "Crossroads  of Peace" proposed by the Prime Minister of Armenia.

In our opinion, the existence of any extraterritorial corridor is  unacceptable and we emphasize that any transportation route should be  under the jurisdiction of the country in question and based on the  principles of mutual and equal action. This point is exactly the  position reflected in the "Crossroads of Peace" plan. It is important  for us that these views of Armenia are not only fully understood in  Iran, but the position statements regarding the necessity of  unconditional respect for the territorial integrity of Armenia and  the inviolability of the borders of this country continue at the  highest level from Tehran.

The Ambassador of Armenia in Tehran emphasized: The Republic of  Armenia is ready to fully ready to guarantee the security of the  passage of goods, vehicles and people in its territory. Yerevan has  repeatedly announced that it is ready to implement the connection  between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan exactly according to the same  conditions as provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Let me  mention here the speech of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at  the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly; In his  speech, he emphasized that all the claims that somewhere and  according to a document, Armenia has agreed that the security of the  communication lines in its territory will be provided by third  forces, is just a different way of presenting the reality. Armenia's  commitment in this regard is clear, guaranteeing the safety of goods,  vehicles and people on its territory, and we guarantee it.

The most effective mechanism for removing blockages in the economic  infrastructure of the region is the implementation of the "Crossroads  of Peace" plan

This senior Armenian diplomat also talked about the proposal to  replace the "Zangezur Corridor" with the "'Aras Corridor", does the  Armenian government have any other suggestions and solutions in this  regard?  He said: To answer this question of yours, I must again  refer to the "Four Ways of Peace" plan presented by the government of  the Republic of Armenia. This project aims to remove blockages of  economic transportation routes, increase the transit potential of the  countries in the region, as well as create new connections, and  establish stable and long-term peace.

The "Four Ways of Peace" plan implies the relaunch and development of  regional communications through the reconstruction, construction, and  operation of roads, railway lines, pipelines, cables, and power  lines.  Of course, the "Four Ways of Peace" plan is also important  for us from the point of view that if this plan is implemented, the  possibility of rail communication with the friendly country of the  Islamic Republic of Iran will also be provided for us. What is  important for us is that a number of countries have officially  declared their support for this project, including Iran, which we  hope will participate in the implementation of this plan. In  conclusion, I should mention that the most effective and beneficial  mechanism to remove the blockade of the economic infrastructure of  the region is the implementation of the "Crossroads of Peace" plan,  which includes mutual benefits.

Many agreements have been reached between Yerevan and Baku

Mr Avakyan also responded to the question "Although the authorities  of Yerevan and Baku announce the achievement of lasting peace, it  seems that there are differences between the two countries that  prevent the achievement of peace", and stated: Establishing lasting  peace in the region The most important priority is the Republic of  Armenia. Armenia is well aware of the value of regional peace and  stability and does not spare any effort to achieve it. We believe  that regional peace requires collective responsibility, we have  assumed our responsibility and we ask other interested actors in this  issue to assume their share of responsibility and with a sense of  commitment towards the category of peace, a more constructive  position towards the processes Adopt a region.

As a result of the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan for  the past 2 years, many agreements have been reached regarding the  agreement "Establishment of peace and intergovernmental relations".  Our suggestion is that the draft of this document and the items  agreed upon in the draft should be signed as soon as possible,  diplomatic relations should be established, and discussions and  investigations should continue to resolve all issues that are of  mutual importance to the parties.

Tehran and Paris have similar positions regarding Armenia

This Armenian diplomat further said about the French Foreign  Minister's visit to Armenia and also the role of countries like  France in the developments in the region: The Republic of Armenia has  close and friendly relations with many countries, including France.  Our government welcomes the participation of all actors who take a  constructive position to establish security and stability in the  region. In this context, I must emphasize that Tehran and Paris have  positions that match each other, and this point is very important in  keeping the region away from catastrophic developments.