FIRST BRIDGE

Azerbaijan has started the practical implementation of the Zangezur corridor project through Iran. On October 6, representatives from both countries held a groundbreaking ceremony of a road bridge and a customs facility on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border near Aghbend, Zangilan.

These facilities will increase transit cargo traffic between the countries and facilitate entry/exit to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR).

The project was also discussed during the telephone conversation between President Ilham Aliyev and President of the EU Council Charles Michel.

From words to action

The construction of the motor-road bridge was implemented under the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iran on the creation of new communication links between the East Zangezur Economic Region of Azerbaijan and NAR through the territory of Iran.

According to Azertag, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the daily throughput capacity of the seven-lane bridge would be 1,100 cars, 30 buses and 15,000 people. "The road will also serve transit traffic. It is important for Azerbaijan, Iran and the whole region. It is one of the necessary infrastructure facilities of the East Zangezur economic region. As a result, the region will become a logistics hub," Mustafayev said.

Earlier, spokesman of the Azerbaijani State Roads Agency, Anar Najafli, said that the construction of the Goradiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghbend road is 80% complete.

In addition to the motorway, it is planned to build three tunnels, several dozen bridges, nine railway stations, and 456 various engineering facilities in the area. All these works should be completed within a year. In particular, the longest railway bridge across the Khakari River (418 metres) will soon be put into operation.

Connection with Nakhchivan will be secured through Iran via bridges to be constructed near the village of Aghbend, Zangilan (Azerbaijan) and in Nakhchivan. Therefore, the engineers have restored the shoreline of the Araz River, which is running through its original course.

All minus one

Azerbaijan has proved in practice that the Zangezur corridor will become a reality, whether Armenia joins it or not. In general, this is a very important project for Central Asia and Europe. Therefore, the world powers are very interested in what can boost the potential of the East-West corridor, also in terms of expanding transportation links in the region.

It is well known that the East-West corridor through the territory of Azerbaijan, which is one of the main transport and logistics hub of the region, is of great importance for the cargo traffic between Europe, China and Kazakhstan, as it saves both the time and cost of transport.

"Regardless of the country the Zangezur corridor will be passing through, be it Armenia or Iran, it will provide multimodal possibilities, which is great. In terms of economic benefits, the route is the shortest between the West and Türkiye, as well as Central Asia and China," Damian Krnjevic, former advisor to the Serbian president and Director of Political Research, Analysis and Publications Department at the ADA University Institute for Development and Diplomacy said.

Therefore, there is no reason to wait for Armenia, which is missing out on real benefits. 

Initially, that is, after Azerbaijan's victory in November 2020, it was assumed that the Goradiz-Aghbend motorway would continue through the Meghri district of Armenia and further connected to the transport arteries of Nakhchivan. However, Armenia has done everything to delay the negotiation process. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the Hungarian Magyar Demokrata that Yerevan was depriving itself of economic benefits, thereby missing a chance to improve its economy, as the Zangezur corridor could simply bypass Armenia. "Yet, Azerbaijan will continue working in this direction with plan B," Bayramov added.

Meanwhile, Elchin Amirbayov, Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on special assignments, said that, "Armenians have misinterpreted our understanding of what this corridor means for us". Baku has no claim to these lands and recognises them as Armenia's sovereign territory. According to Amirbayov, there is no question of any extraterritoriality, and the term "corridor" in this context is no different from North-South, East-West or other corridors.

Armenia is only required to provide Azerbaijan with credible guarantees of unimpeded movement along the Zangezur corridor between its territory and Nakhchivan. "The question is how they are going to ensure the security of the corridor. But this is a separate topic, because according to the trilateral statement, the security of movement along the corridor will be ensured by Russian border guards. Now it seems Armenia is rethinking this commitment because they are no longer satisfied with the role assigned to the Russian side," Amirbayov added.

Guarantor of stability

Yet, regardless of how the ongoing process ends, Azerbaijan is supported by all other countries of the region.

For example, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in his recent interview with RBC that the Zangezur corridor would contribute to the economic development of all South Caucasusian states. He believes that the agreement will significantly contribute to the overall stabilisation in the region. "Armenia will get an opportunity to become a transport and logistics hub, strengthen and expand its transport links with both Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Russia. Azerbaijan will get a chance for uninterrupted transport communication between the two parts of the country," Galuzin said.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also said at a briefing that Russia believes the Zangezur corridor has a significant potential to advance the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also stated that the Zangezur corridor project was a strategic issue and should be implemented. Without Yerevan's support, it could also go through Iran.

"We will do our best to open this corridor as soon as possible. The launch of the corridor, which is very important for Türkiye and Azerbaijan, is a strategic issue and must be realised," Erdogan told Turkish journalists.

He also noted that the Zangezur and Lachin transport routes connecting Garabagh and Armenia need to be turned into corridors of peace. "It is impossible to imagine a corridor that is still dominated by war. Therefore, if we want to consider both the Zangezur and Lachin routes as corridors of peace, we need to resolve this issue without any conflict and noise," the Turkish president said.

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, noted earlier that the motorway would provide direct land and railway communication between Türkiye and Azerbaijan and would become a significant progress for the whole Turkic world. As previously stated by the same ministry, currently the Turkish side is finalising construction works for the Zangezur corridor project in the Turkish settlements of Diluju, Igdir and Kars; it is planned to finish the works this year.

"As soon as the Zangezur corridor is operational, it will further reduce the cost of transport along the Middle Corridor, as well as dependence on third countries. Thanks to connections with the ports of Mersin and Iskenderun, this Middle Corridor route will bring great benefits to the brotherly Turkic states," Binali Yildirim, the first deputy chairman of Türkiye's Justice and Development Party and former prime minister, wrote on Twitter.

In short, the stakeholders of the Zangezur corridor have long since moved from words to deeds. And Armenia has very little time left to jump on the departing train.