Details added (first version posted on 16:35)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 23
By Taleh Mursagulov – Trend:
Azerbaijan has isolated Armenia from all transport projects being implemented in the region, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said.
Mustafayev made the remarks at a press conference in Baku on Nov. 23 dedicated to Azerbaijan’s transport and transit potential.
The minister stressed that a number of transport corridors pass through Azerbaijan.
“First of all, it the East-West corridor, which consists of three routes, is worth mentioning,” Mustafayev said. “It starts in China and passes through Kazakhstan, and then Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The second route passes through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The third route passes through Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey [this route is also called Lapis Lazuli].”
“The second transport corridor is North-South transport corridor,” he said. “The corridor starts in Northern Europe and passes through Azerbaijan, Iran, the countries of the Persian Gulf and also covers the Asian countries.”
"Azerbaijan equally cooperates with all neighboring countries in this area, except Armenia,” the minister said. “This is one of the main directions of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s policy."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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