Armenian illusions vs. Azerbaijan’s real corridor

It’s as if Armenia and Azerbaijan are talking about two different corridors- So which one is the US interested in? There’s an oped in the WSJ (I’ll post it tomorrow) from an American politician about this Crossroad of Peace- Or this corridor?

Link– from Azeri media Caliber

According to Armenian media, during a meeting with residents of Syunik (Zangezur), he stated the following: “If we can open the gates of Syunik—I mean the opportunities of those 43 kilometres—then you can be sure that the future will offer us great prospects for development. The ‘Crossroads of Peace’ is very well received by the international community.

First of all, what did Khachaturyan mean by the “opportunity of 43 kilometres”? Given the ending of his tirade—“Our goal is to sign a peace agreement in the near future”—he was referring to the Zangezur Corridor. But then, what does the much-touted “Crossroads of Peace” have to do with this? It’s a complete logical fallacy and a glaring absence of common sense. Let’s break it down further.

The Zangezur Corridor is a transport route intended to connect mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Zangezur—a provision clearly laid out in Point 9 of the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020, which was personally endorsed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The corridor is planned to include both road and railway links, and in the future, it could become part of the Middle Corridor—an international trade route connecting Asia and Europe via the Caspian Sea. The creation of the Zangezur Corridor is supported by both Azerbaijan and Türkiye, and even two countries that can hardly be called allies—Russia and the United States—back the project.

At my former site- I have a post on this agreement- The TRILATERAL agreement was signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia- The link is still viable and is below;

11 point peace plan from 2020 (nearly 5 years ago)

Point 9–In the next three years, a plan will be developed for the construction of a new road along the Lachin corridor, which will provide a connection between Stepanakert and Armenia, and a Russian contingent will be deployed on it. Azerbaijan will guarantee the safety of transportation in the Lachin Corridor to all civilians.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during one of his press conferences, spoke in considerable detail on the subject, noting in particular: “It is very unfortunate that such a practical and beneficial thing as the opening of a route through Zangezur for Armenia still remains only on paper. It is Armenia that is facing difficulties in implementing the opening of the transport corridor.”

Moreover, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made several statements regarding the U.S. initiative—characteristically contradictory in tone. Initially, he declared that the option proposed by Ambassador Tom Barrack—regarding the potential transfer of a section of Armenian territory under the control of a third party—was unacceptable and legally impossible. But, as the saying goes, it wasn’t long before he changed his stance. At a subsequent press conference, he confirmed that discussions had indeed taken place on transferring control of the Zangezur Corridor to a private company representing a third party.

Interestingly, at the time, the Spanish outlet Periodista Digital reported that it had obtained a secret memorandum concerning the Zangezur Corridor, allegedly signed between Armenia and the United States.

As I’d mentioned previously- any agreement regarding this corridor was most likely favoured only by Armenia.

Keep in mind I’m quoting from an Azerbaijani media outlet

Overall, the U.S. initiative concerning the Zangezur Corridor once again confirms that this project lies within the sphere of interest of major global players—and not only for economic reasons. The point is that the corridor plays a critical role in the current era of global order transformation. Specifically, the U.S. interest is motivated, among other things, by Washington’s desire, first, to weaken Moscow’s position in the South Caucasus region; second, to undermine the interests of Iran, which is well known for its opposition to the implementation of the corridor; and third, to use the issue of the Zangezur Corridor to push forward Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, ultimately leading to a peace agreement under the auspices of the American track.

Azerbaijan understands that the US will use the issue of the corridor to influence negotiation with an attempt to implement an agreement that is favourable to Pax Americana

As for the Zangezur Corridor, Azerbaijan’s position remains unwavering, grounded in international law and on the commitments made by Armenia itself. As Ilham Aliyev stated at the III Shusha Global Media Forum, if Armenia continues to block the process related to the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, its chances of ever becoming a transit country are approaching zero.

“Unfortunately, no work has been done on the Armenian side in the last five years, as this issue is deliberately removed from the agenda. But under such circumstances, the chances for Armenia to ever become a transit country are close to zero. If they continue to block this process, I think that they will find themselves not only in transport isolation, which they already are in today, but also in political isolation to a certain extent,” the president said.

Unless America steps in. Which is what Armenia is wanting. Which is why Armenia is and has been stalling.

These words from the President of Azerbaijan, directed clearly at Yerevan, also serve as a clear message to the international community: Armenia is the main stumbling block to realising important processes in a geopolitically significant region such as the South Caucasus, where the interests of global powers intersect.