Zangezur corridor (Azerbaijani: Zəngəzur koridoru, Armenian: Զանգեզուրի միջանցք), sometimes referred to as Nakhchivan corridor[1] (Azerbaijani: Naxçıvan koridoru, Armenian: Նախիջևանի միջանցք), is a yet unimplemented, agreed-upon, transnational transport corridor, connecting Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan, with the rest of the country, via a route passing through the Syunik region of Armenia,[2] subject to Article 9 of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement. The potential corridor's status has formed a point of contention between the two countries in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[3]
History
During the Soviet period, there were two railway connections linking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) with Azerbaijan proper. The shorter route that passed via Syunik region was built in 1941, while the line via Ijevan and Qazakh was constructed in the 1980s as an alternative route connecting Yerevan to Baku. Both routes were abandoned after 1992, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.[4]
Since then, air and land connections between Azerbaijan and its exclave, have had to pass through Turkish or Iranian territory.[1]
Implementation of the corridor has been a long-term policy goal of Azerbaijan, which lacks a direct connection to it's exclave.
2020 agreement
On 9 November, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement was signed by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, ending all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.[5]
Article 9 of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement states:
All economic and transport connections in the region shall be unblocked. The Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions. The Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service shall be responsible for overseeing the transport connections.[6]
Under mainstream Azerbaijani interpretations, Article 9 implies that "Armenia agreed to establish Nakhchivan Corridor in the Megri region".[1]
Current status
Azerbaijan prefers to restore the line via Syunik, while Armenia would prefer Qazakh - Ijevan line. However, the latter has a higher rebuilding cost. According to estimates, the Zangelan - Meghri - Nakhchivan route would cost approximately $250 million to restore, while the Ijevan route would cost $450 million.[4] The implementation of the corridor has stalled.[3]
Controversy
On 21 April 2021, during an interview with the President of Azerbaijan Aliyev by AzTV, he said that "we are implementing the Zangezur corridor, whether Armenia wants it or not" and that if it did not want to, Azerbaijan would "decide it by force". Aliyev also said that "the Azerbaijani people will return to Zangezur, which was taken away from us 101 years ago". These declarations got a bad response in Armenia. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan related these "acts of intimidation" to the Armenian genocide. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan said "Armenia will take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity". Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stressed that the November 9th trilateral statement mentions neither “Zangezur” (i.e. the Syunik region of Armenia) nor the word “corridor”, and that the agreement is only about unblocking regional communications.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Baghirov, Orkhan (15 January 2021). "The Nakhchivan corridor will boost connectivity in the Caucasus". Euractiv..
- ^ "Южные ворота Карабаха. Что происходит в Гадруте после войны". РИА Новости. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Armenia and Azerbaijan suspend "corridor" talks". Eurasianet. 04 June 2021. Retrieved 07 June 2021.
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(help) - ^ a b "Armenia proposing restoration of rail route through Azerbaijan to Russia". Eurasianet. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Путин выступил с заявлением о прекращении огня в Карабахе". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Statement by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and President of the Russian Federation". Kremlin.ru. President of Russia. 10 November 2020.
- ^ "What will become of the Zangezur corridor? Comments from Azerbaijan and Armenia". JAMnews. 21 May 2021.