Civilnet
By Elen Muradyan
Armenia has never discussed and will never consider any proposal that is not permitted under its national legislation, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan said, in response to a controversial U.S. proposal to lease a transit route through Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
“There is no such concept as leasing land under Armenian law,” Rubinyan told Factor TV in an interview broadcast Monday, dismissing the notion of a U.S.-run corridor as both legally invalid and politically unacceptable. He emphasized that Armenia does not recognize the idea of foreign administration of its territory and has not entertained such proposals.
The proposal, which was publicly confirmed by U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack earlier this month, suggests leasing a road segment through Syunik to facilitate unimpeded Azerbaijani transit to Nakhichevan. Barrack characterized the idea as a 100-year lease, drawing strong criticism in Armenia, where sovereignty over national territory is seen as a red line.
Rubinyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party and Armenia’s special envoy in talks with Turkey, reiterated that Yerevan remains committed to regional connectivity — but only within the framework of its sovereignty. “Armenia not only is ready, but wants to open up all regional connections — railways, roads, pipelines,” he said. He stressed that any unblocking must be based on four principles: territorial integrity, sovereignty, legal jurisdiction, and reciprocity.
According to Rubinyan, these principles ensure that Armenian law governs not only the territory but also the infrastructure, including border and customs procedures. “We have said we are open to simplifying procedures — passport and customs — but on a reciprocal basis,” he added.
The deputy speaker also rejected the terminology used by Azerbaijan and others. “‘Zangezur corridor’ contains territorial claims against Armenia. There is no administrative unit called Zangezur in Armenia,” he said, urging the media to avoid normalizing the term.
Rubinyan also cited the government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative as the official framework for regional transport reopening. The program, backed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, proposes that all transit projects — including those involving Azerbaijan — respect national jurisdictions and remain under Armenian legal authority.
Despite international pressure and occasional signals of flexibility from Prime Minister Pashinyan, the government’s official position remains firm. As recently as mid-July, Pashinyan's office and spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan reaffirmed that Armenia “has never discussed and is not discussing” the transfer of control over any part of its territory to a third party.
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