Pashinyan thanks Putin for backing peace efforts

PanARMENIAN.Net - During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his gratitude for Moscow’s support in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“There are very important and, fortunately, positive developments taking place in our region. I would like to thank you for supporting the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” said Pashinyan, according to RIA Novosti.

According to Armenia’s official statement, Pashinyan also noted: “As we discussed in our phone call after August 8, the achieved peace will open new opportunities for further developing bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia.

This is already happening. Trains from Russia are now traveling to Armenia via Azerbaijani territory, which, I believe, is truly a historic development. As you mentioned, new opportunities are opening up. In our country, the agenda to restore certain railway sections has matured.

I’m referring specifically to the Ijevan, Yeraskh, and Akhuryan segments. These are the lines that link Armenia with Azerbaijan, with Nakhichevan and Turkey via Azerbaijan’s main territory. A rather active political process is underway. While no political decisions have yet been made on reopening these lines, I believe it is time to begin preparatory work,” Pashinyan stated.

On August 8, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration at a trilateral summit at the White House. During the Washington talks, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in the presence of their respective leaders and the U.S. president, initialed the “Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”