Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has lambasted a PACE member at the plenary session for using the ‘Zangezur corridor’ term while asking a question about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Washington accords.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) member Edward Leigh (United Kingdom, ECPA), asked the Prime Minister whether the opening of what he falsely referred to as the ‘Zangezur corridor’ through Armenia would serve Armenia’s interests as much as it does Azerbaijan’s.
Pashinyan has numerously said that the so-called “Zangezur corridor” expression has never existed in official talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The term is used by Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev and most recently Pashinyan urged him to clarify the usage because Armenia views it as a territorial claim. PM Pashinyan, in response to the British delegate, said that the Washington accords don’t mention any so-called corridor. He said that the documents signed in Washington aren’t extensive and anyone interested in the topic can read it.
“The narrative you mentioned doesn’t exist in the documents. I want to underscore, you are using the ‘Zangezur corridor’ expression. Where did you get this expression from? There is no such thing in any document, hasn’t been, and will never be in any agreed upon document between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister emphasized that a crucial condition in the peace process is the use of legitimate and agreed-upon terminology“.
Peace requires care. An important attribute of that care is the use of legitimate terminology. There is not a single word in my speeches whose origin I cannot trace back to the documents adopted in Washington,” the Prime Minister stressed. PM Pashinyan warned that the use of ‘Zangezur corridor’ expression is a gross violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. “I also urged my Azerbaijani counterpart to clarify, where is the so-called Zangezur corridor on the map, because if it turns out that by saying Zangezur corridor they mean the territory of Armenia, then it amounts to a gross violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia. No one has the right to assign a name on the territory of Armenia if that hasn’t been adopted by the government or parliament of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.
He reminded that the Washington accords envision the opening of regional connections based on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and jurisdiction of the states, and the principle of reciprocity.
The PM said that the accords also envision the creation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). “Therefore, I urge and expect that only legitimate terminology is used. I expect our partners in Azerbaijan to point out on the map exactly where they mean and which section they refer to as the ‘Zangezur corridor.’ If this in any way concerns the sovereign territory of Armenia, then, excuse me, no one has the right to assign names within the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Any action to the contrary amounts to a violation of Armenia’s sovereignty.
I repeat - when it comes to the territory of the Republic of Armenia, only the kind of terminology may be used that is defined by the Government, the Parliament, or other relevant bodies of Armenia, or has been agreed upon with the Armenian Government.
Therefore, allow me to say that I strongly condemn your use of illegitimate terminology in this prestigious hall and within this reputable institution,” Pashinyan concluded.
