Normalization with Türkiye could positively impact normalization with Azerbaijan: Armenian FM responds to Fidan

“If we normalize relations at this point, we will have taken away the biggest reason for Armenia to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan,” Fidan said on Friday, according to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu. “When Azerbaijan and Armenia sign a final peace agreement, we will be ready to normalize relations with Armenia,” the Turkish Foreign Minister added.

In exclusive comments to Armenpress, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that while neither process is conditioned on the other, normalization with Türkiye could actually have a positive impact on normalization with Azerbaijan.

Armenpress: Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, said that the normalization of relations with Türkiye is "essential" for Armenia, and, according to him, if Ankara normalizes relations at this point, it would have “taken away the biggest reason for Armenia to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.” FM Fidan also said that the concept of the connection linking Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan was approved during the Washington meeting. Do you have any comment?

FM Ararat Mirzoyan: First of all, establishing diplomatic relations with Türkiye and opening the border are indeed important for Armenia. Likewise, further institutionalizing the peace established with Azerbaijan is also important. Armenia is making sincere efforts in both directions. However, neither of these components is conditioned on the other, and if we were to insist on seeing a causal link between them, it might turn out that the full normalization of relations with Türkiye could have—not a negative but, on the contrary—a positive impact on the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As for the unblocking of transport infrastructure, at the peace summit held in Washington on August 8, the main principles of this process were agreed upon—territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, sovereignty, jurisdiction, and reciprocity. Within this framework, the TRIPP route will connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan, Armenia with other countries, and—on a broader geographic scale—different regions with one another through Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia is actively and constructively striving to implement this as soon as possible.