The announcement was made by the Armenian Prime Minister back in Yerevan. Agreement has been reached on an important Baku claim: a link between Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan enclave in Armenia. Pre-established under the aegis of Vladimir Putin in Sochi last November and confirmed this night in Brussels, this is a clearing up in the conflict between the two countries, and perhaps the prelude to an appeasement of relations between Yerevan and Baku and to an unblocking in medium term traffic in the South Caucasus.
With our correspondent in Moscow, Anissa El Jabri
It is indeed a future territorial continuity between Azerbaijan and this small territory that Baku obtained. Nakhitchevan is an area of 15 square kilometers called “autonomous republic”.
Located 450 kilometers west of the Azerbaijani capital, this pocket territory must be connected to the Azeri capital via a railway, without any customs posts. Estimated cost of construction: $ 200 million, says the Armenian Minister of Economy.
► To read also: Tensions with Azerbaijan: Armenia announces truce after artillery fire
Towards appeasement between Yerevan and Ankara
This line, which will also pass through the border town with Iran, Meghri, will link as much, says Yerevan, Armenia to Russia and Iran. Above all, Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian promises him a bright future: an extension to the Armenian city of Gyumri and perhaps Kars, in southern Turkey.
The 268-kilometer border between Turkey and Armenia has been closed for 28 years, but earlier this week Ankara and Yerevan each announced the appointment of emissaries to normalize their relations.
The Armenian genocide remains a major taboo in Turkey and the two countries have never had formal diplomatic relations.