Aliyev says Azerbaijan will link Nakhchivan, East Zangezur and Karabakh into single region

Azerbaijan will effectively connect Nakhchivan, East Zangezur and Karabakh into a single transport and economic region once major infrastructure projects are completed, President Ilham Aliyev said.

Aliyev said construction of the railway forming part of the Zangezur corridor began in early 2021, shortly after the end of the second Karabakh war, and that Baku had invested heavily in the project with full confidence it would be completed.

According to the president, road infrastructure on Azerbaijan’s side leading to the Armenian border is almost finished, with highways around 95% complete and rail construction about 70% physically ready. He said Azerbaijan could accelerate the work if needed, but noted that construction on Armenia’s territory has not yet begun and would require building a 42-kilometre stretch.

Aliyev said most of the road network in Nakhchivan already exists, although parts require reconstruction, and that missing railway sections are currently being built and should be completed within one to two years.

He added that Azerbaijan has opened the remaining sections of the project to foreign investors and that, once fully operational, the corridor’s annual capacity would reach 15 million tonnes. The route would become part of both East–West and East–South corridors, and could also complement the North–South transport route.

Aliyev said the opening of the Zangezur corridor would effectively restore a Soviet-era transport link between Russia and Iran via Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nakhchivan, creating an alternative North–South route and strengthening the Middle Corridor.

He also recalled that Turkey has decided to build the Kars–Nakhchivan railway, providing full rail connectivity between Nakhchivan and Turkey.

In addition, Azerbaijan is building a bridge over the Araz river in the Agbend area, creating an alternative route between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Iran. That route would reduce travel distance to about 45–50 kilometres.

“As a result, there will be two links between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan — one through Armenia and one through Iran. We will effectively unite Nakhchivan, East Zangezur and Karabakh into one region,” Aliyev said.