September 8, 2021 - 12:57 AMT
Pashinyan: Armenia ready for dialogue with Turkey

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is ready to engage in dialogue with Turkey.

Pashinyan told a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 8 that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken about relation with Armenia. According to him, such conversations can serve as a basis for re-launching railways and roads between the two countries. Pashinyan noted that Russia has expressed readiness to support the process, while the EU, France and the United States are also interested in the matter.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared recently that Ankara is ready to gradually normalize relations with Yerevan. Erdogan's comments came after Pashinyan weighed in on regional peace earlier, maintaining that "public positive signals" are coming from Turkey. Pashinyan said the Armenian side will assess those signals and respond in kind.

The Prime Minister said the deepening or normalization of relations with neighboring countries will be one of the key directions of the government's foreign policy agenda. He particularly stressed the North-South project, which will connect Armenia's border with Iran to Georgia.

Pashinyan weighed in on processes aimed at unblocking transport communications in the region, maintaining that the Armenian side is going to be consistent in order to connect with Russia and Iran through railway.

He also said Yerevan intends to resume the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship