Are amendments to the current legislation of Armenia envisaged within the framework of the TRIPP agreement? Or will the legislation of Armenia, including customs and border norms and rules, be in full force? Opposition MP Marianna Ghahramanyan asked this question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, at Wednesday’s meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.
The meeting was discussing the draft on ratification of the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between Armenia and the US on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) regional transport project.
Also, Ghahramanyan recalled that she had earlier asked this question to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, but the latter, “as always, had diverted the conversation and not given a direct answer.”
Mirzoyan, in turn, noted that the answer to this question is in the TRIPP document itself.
“It is written there that there may be legislative changes arising from the agreement. Such changes do happen and have happened before. Armenia has repeatedly made such changes after the signing and ratification of other international treaties. It is an inseparable and almost inevitable part of international treaty-legal relations,” the Armenian foreign minister said.
Mirzoyan added that the TRIPP document has been in circulation since May, passed through the Constitutional Court of Armenia and, in accordance with the established procedures, was submitted for consideration by the NA.
“We want to complete the document procedures as soon as possible and proceed with construction work. We want to see trains on the railway and ensure the sale of electricity as soon as possible. It stems from the interests of Armenia. We have not delayed the process, but there is no unnecessary haste here either. The guarantee is mutual benefit, no other guarantee exists. Today, the real guarantee in the whole world is interest. We [i.e. Armenia] have our own interest. We do not want war, we want peace and cooperation. And we see that Azerbaijan also wants this," the Armenian government member added.