Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan stated that the normalization of relations between the two countries in the long-term perspective is inevitable.
According to him, a single market will be formed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the future, and mutual trade will become commonplace.
In his speech, Simonyan stated that Armenians and Azerbaijanis today establish joint businesses, maintain friendships, and social relations in Moscow and other countries: “There will be Azerbaijani goods in our stores, and Armenian products will be sold in Baku and other cities. The current tension and feelings of enmity will disappear over time.”
He also added, recalling that both sides suffered significant losses during the war years: “We also killed people, and people died on the Azerbaijani side. The wounds of both nations are still fresh, but this sensitivity will gradually decrease.”
According to the speaker, the main priority currently is the opening of communication lines in the region as soon as possible. This is considered an important step for both economic integration and the strengthening of confidence in the peace process.
Simonyan's speech was also met with interest in Baku. Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, and Entrepreneurship, Azer Badamov, told Modern.az that after the signing of a peace agreement, diplomatic relations between the two countries should be restored, followed by the expansion of economic ties.
He noted that there is demand in Armenia for Azerbaijani oil, gas, and chemical industry products: “In the future, our "Istisu" mineral waters and Aghdam wine can also be sold there. There is nothing unusual about this.”
The deputy also recalled that the main obstacle is the territorial claims against Azerbaijan maintained in the Armenian constitution. Baku has repeatedly stated that a final peace agreement will not be signed without a change to this provision. The draft agreement initialed in Washington, however, indicates that the parties are taking important steps towards reaching an agreement.
Milli Majlis deputy Vugar Bayramov, on the other hand, drew attention to economic relations. According to him, the opening of communication lines and the signing of a final agreement will also pave the way for trade relations in the region: “Products with comparative advantage can be introduced to the Armenian market. The export of goods primarily from the non-oil sector seems more realistic. Armenia can also export certain products. However, time will be needed for business people to form a tradition of cooperation.”
Experts believe that if changes are made to the Armenian Constitution, the signing of a final peace agreement and the expansion of economic cooperation will become a real prospect.
