BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. In addition to providing a method of communication between Nakhchivan and the rest of Azerbaijan, the Zangezur corridor offers a chance to link Southeast and Central Asia with Europe, the Caspian and Mediterranean basins, and the Caspian Sea, the Head of the Turkic World Research Center at the Azerbaijani Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication Ayhan Satiji told Trend.
Satiji said that a trilateral statement signed between Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia on November 10, 2020, created the opportunity to reshape the global transportation and logistics network.
As he noted, the Zangezur corridor, resulting from this statement, represents a project which will promote the development of economic relationships between the East and West, particularly diversifying them in the context of the new realities in the Eurasian region, including Central Asia.
"It's crucial to remember that the Zangezur corridor has historically been a functional route for transportation and logistics. With regard to the region's current geo-economic and geopolitical changes, historically, this corridor's economic efficiency has increased in value," the expert pointed out.
"Having reliable partners in terms of freight transport through the Middle Corridor through Central Asia and the South Caucasus region, as well as connecting various transportation arteries like the Zangezur corridor, is considered sensible on this route."
"If we look at the trade turnover between the European Union and China, we can see that this figure demonstrates a continuous growth trend. Last year, it amounted to nearly $1 trillion. Considering the trade turnover based on this indicator, the presence of the Middle Corridor in freight transportation, and consequently the Zangezur corridor, can add additional value to the economic growth of the countries through which it passes, especially in terms of trade turnover," Satiji also said.
Moreover, according to him, the Zangezur corridor is a transportation artery that connects the Turkic world within the member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
Given all these factors, the Zangezur corridor will create an additional transportation artery for the countries in the region and lead to increased volumes of freight transport on transportation routes through the Middle Corridor, as well as the creation of value-added chains along this route through the construction of various multi-modal infrastructures, he added.
Proposed by the Azerbaijani side, the Zangezur corridor aims to establish a transportation link between Azerbaijan's mainland and its exclave, Nakhchivan, passing through Armenian territory. This corridor emerged as part of the above-mentioned trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war.
One point of the agreement outlined Armenia's commitment to ensuring the security of transport connections to Nakhchivan, facilitating the unrestricted movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions.
