Zangazur Corridor - West agrees with Azerbaijan's rightful position

Currently, the daily topic on the regional situation has been modified. The demarcation and delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the signing of a peace agreement between the parties, bilateral and multilateral cooperation are already being discussed. At this stage, one of the daily issues pertaining to the region is the opening of the Zangazur corridor. This issue is reflected in Article 9 of the joint statement, signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia and the prime minister of Armenia on November 10, 2020: "All economic and transport links in the region shall be restored. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to organize an unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. Control over transport shall be exercised by the bodies of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia. By agreement of the Parties, the construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan shall be ensured.”

 

 

Armenia must fulfill its obligations under this article. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also discussed this issue at a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. The president said that the legal regime of the Zangazur corridor should be the same as that of the Lachin corridor. The president stressed that Azerbaijan provides security and unrestricted access to the relations between Karabakh and Armenia: "Armenia must ensure the same unimpeded access and security for relations between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Thus, there is no customs control in the Lachin corridor today. Therefore, there shouldn't be customs control in the Zangazur corridor either. If Armenia insists on customs control on cargo and people, then we will insist on the same in the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijan has made concessions to Armenia through the Lachin corridor, taking into account its kinship ties. That is, only Armenians in Armenia, Khankandi, and surrounding areas of Azerbaijan benefit from this corridor.

 

 

 

"The function and benefits of the Zangazur corridor are bigger. It creates ample opportunities for regional and global cooperation. Not only Azerbaijan, but also Armenia will benefit from this corridor. In other words, Armenia will have the opportunity to take advantage of both corridors. However, in exchange for these concessions, Armenia is breaking the rules of the game intentionally. President Ilham Aliyev noted that progress in resolving the issue was uneasy. The president said that an agreement had been reached on the construction of a railway link from Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Armenia, as well as an agreement on the construction of a highway. However, the exact route of the highway has not yet been identified. This is a topic for future discussions."

 

Thus, the European Union and NATO also agree with the new reality created by Azerbaijan in the region and the new directions of activities arising from this reality. Therefore, the Zangazur corridor can also connect the South Caucasus with the European Union.