After the triple-format summit held by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia in Moscow in January 2021, an agreement was reached on the re-establishment of communication in the region. The agreement envisages the restoration of two important corridors. The first of these is the road and railway corridor leading to Nakhchivan through Armenia’s Syunik Region (Zangezur) and a large part of Azerbaijan. The second is the railway that runs from Yerevan to Nakhchivan and will pass through the same region of Armenia. Both routes were used effectively during the Soviet Union period; however, activities were stopped after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nevertheless, with the agreement reached on 10 November 2020, there are plans to restore the connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan.
To realise this regional project, first of all, communication networks within the country should be developed. In this context, Azerbaijan started the railway project that unites Horadiz and Agbend Region. In this context, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation of the Horadiz-Agbend Railway during his visit to the districts of Fuzuli, Zangilan, Lachin, and Cebrayil on February 14, 2021. The strategic importance of this railway line with a total length of 100 km is enormous. This is because, on the one hand, the said transportation infrastructure will play a critical role in the transportation of Azerbaijani citizens to the liberated lands. On the other hand, it will be instrumental in establishing a direct transportation link between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. At this point, it can be said that the Horadiz-Agbend Railway Project constitutes an important part of the Nakhchivan Corridor.
As can be understood, the Nakhchivan Corridor project, which was highlighted in the agreement signed on 10 November 2020, started to be implemented with this initiative made by Azerbaijan. In fact, Aliyev emphasized the importance of the corridor in question; In other words, he stated that no one would prevent the construction of the corridor that will connect it with Zangezur. Following this, there was a reaction from Armenia, especially from the opposition. In this context, it is stated by the Armenian public that the corridor is against the interests of the country. However, the Yerevan administration, which thinks that this approach will be perceived as an actor that negatively affects international integration, also announced that it has “cut off” its transportation and infrastructure projects. The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan even stated that the corridors are suitable for the interests of Armenia. In fact, the Pashinyan administration plans to gain the support of the people by shedding light on both regional support and the elimination of economic problems. In this context, attention should be drawn to the two meetings held by Pashinyan with the Armenian people.
First, on 20 March 2021, Pashinyan met with the inhabitants of the village of Nerkin Bazmaberd. During his visit to the aforementioned village, Pashinyan revealed that he is in favour of realizing new infrastructure projects with the following words:[1]
“Regional communication routes are on the agenda. If someone says that opening these roads will only be beneficial for Azerbaijan, do not believe it. If someone else says that this communication will only benefit Armenia, do not believe them either. Especially in the current situation, restoring communications is beneficial for both Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is beneficial for Azerbaijan to communicate with Nakhchivan. It is valuable for Armenia as it needs a reliable rail and land connection with Russia and Iran. On this occasion, I can say that our economy will also develop.”
Pashinyan visited Aragats village on March 28, 2021, and emphasized that regional communication should not be blocked. In his speech, Pashinyan underlined that opening the roads will play a key role in the development of the economy and industry of Armenia. He drew attention to copper mining in particular, and that Armenia is rich in copper, but be reminded that the modernisation of industry and the creation of capacities for the melting of copper is impossible without communication. In this context, Pashinyan emphasized the importance of removing obstacles to the realisation of regional transportation projects.[2] Therefore, if Pashinyan comes to power again in the elections, Armenia will be positioned as a country more open to cooperation. So, what will Azerbaijan gain from the mentioned projects?
Unblocking the Zangezur Corridor will create wide-ranging opportunities for both Armenia and Azerbaijan and other states in the region. This will centralise Azerbaijan’s position and increase its geopolitical importance since the reopening of this corridor has geostrategic. Furthermore, direct contact between Nakhchivan and mainland Azerbaijan will be established by this route which passes through historical Zangezur lands.
As is known, after the Karabakh War that broke out in the 1990s, the highway connection between Nakhichevan and Zangezur was cut off and this region was isolated from Azerbaijan. Therefore, for many years, transportation between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan was carried out either by air or by road over Iranian lands. Therefore, the implementation of the projects means ending the isolation of Nakhchivan. Moreover, it will be easier to ensure the security of Nakhchivan through these projects. Another advantage for Azerbaijan is the reduction of dependence on Iran. For this reason, some experts anticipate that if the projects are realised, the influence of Iran; one of the regional actors, will be limited. Also, Nakhchivan Corridor will shorten transportation between Turkey and Azerbaijan. This is very valuable for both Ankara and Baku. It can be argued that the relations between the two countries will become stronger thanks to the corridor.
Moreover, these projects can play an important role in the integration of the Turkic States. In fact, the message of this was given by Aliyev at the Turkic Council Summit held on March 31, 2021. In his statement on the subject, Aliyev said the following:[3]
“The war is over and the conflict has gone down in history. However, new opportunities have emerged. I think the most important opportunity among them is related to transportation routes. In this context, the Zengezur corridor is very important. I’ve emphasized the importance of Zengezur before. The decision to separate Zengezur from Azerbaijan and add it to Armenia led to a geographical divide in the Turkish world. When you look at the map, this division is clearly visible. I believe that the creation of these new transportation corridors will bring an end to the division of the Turkish world. Because Zengezur, which is a historical Azerbaijani territory; it will be a bridge for the Turkish world by hosting transportation, communication and infrastructure projects in terms of route. This is not only for Azerbaijan; it will also create opportunities for Armenia.”
As a result, Azerbaijan is the country that benefits most from the infrastructure projects planned to be created within the framework of the agreement reached as a result of the war. Since Azerbaijan will both gain economic profit and gain a geopolitical advantage over Nakhchivan. Most importantly, Azerbaijan will become a bridge for the Turkic World if Baku and Yerevan fully agree.
[1] “Пашинян Считает Открытие Коммуникаций Региона Полезным для Армении и Азербайджана (Pashinyan Schitayet Otkrytiye Kommunikatsiy Regiona Poleznym dlya Armenii I Azerbaydzhana)”, Armen Press, https://armenpress.am/rus/news/1046669.html, (Date of Accession: 15.04.2021).
[2]“Открытие Коммуникаций с Азербайджаном Должно Быть Обоюдным-Пашинян (Otkrytiye Kommunikatsiy s Azerbaydzhanom Dolzhno Byt Oboyudnym-Pashinyan)”, Armenian Sputnik, https://ru.armeniasputnik.am/politics/20210328/26961006/Otkrytie-kommunikatsiy-s-Azerbaydzhanom-dolzhno-byt-oboyudnym—Pashinyan.html, (Date of Accession: 15.04.2021).
[3] “Informal Summit of Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States Was Held in Video Conference Format”, Azertag, https://cutt.ly/BvPctqE, (Date of Accession: 15.04.2021).
