Baku wanted Russian troops along railway, Armenia rejected
He noted that Azerbaijan had demanded that Russian troops be stationed along the railway line. “For example, they were asking for third-country troops to be deployed along the railway. I remember them saying that Russian forces should be stationed there. This, of course, was unacceptable to us,” Mirzoyan said.
He said that “there is no corridor, but rather the ‘Trump Route of International Peace and Prosperity.’”
This comes after a formal agreement between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to launch the so-called Trump Route.
Trump stated that the route would allow Azerbaijan access to Nakhichevan “while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty.” He added that Armenia is forming an exclusive partnership with the U.S. to develop the corridor, potentially for up to 99 years, with an option to renew for another 99 years. “Major infrastructure development is expected. American companies are eager to enter the region and invest heavily, which will bring economic benefits to all three countries,” Trump said.
On September 11, Pashinyan stated that Armenia had not leased land to the U.S. for 99 years, but rather granted construction rights.
