The project of the Zangezur Corridor was high on the agenda of the second meeting of heads of government of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on April 2.
Founded in 2009 to foster comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations, the OTS includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan as full members. Turkmenistan, Hungary, and Northern Cyprus participate as observers.
The Zangezur Corridor is a transport route that would connect Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan through the southern part of Armenia. The route will link Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Kars in Turkey, going through Armenia near the Iranian border. It will also become part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey.
During a meeting with the heads of government of OTS member states in Baku, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev underscored the increasing importance of the Middle Corridor and the Zangezur Corridor in the current geopolitical environment, saying that “the Middle Corridor passing through our countries serves the interests of all of us,” according to Aliyev’s official website.
Regarding the Zangezur Corridor, Aliyev said that approximately 90% of the highway and about 70% of the railway have been completed. “A large portion of the work on the territory of Azerbaijan has already been completed. Our railways, the Baku Trade Port, highways, and airports — all transport infrastructure has been brought to full readiness,” he said, expressing hope that this project will be fully implemented in the near future.
Aliyev added that construction of the Kars–Nakhchivan railway, a part of the Zangezur Corridor, has begun in Turkey, bringing the two countries closer to opening a new international corridor—a branch of the Middle Corridor.
“The railway infrastructure we have built is designed to transport 15 million tons of cargo at the initial stage, with potential for further increase. In any case, the opening of a new corridor with a capacity of 15 million tons is of great importance not only for our countries but also for the wider region,” Aliyev stated.
Aliyev’s optimism was echoed by Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. Speaking to his OTS counterparts, he noted the need for further development of the TITR taking into account the expected opening of the Zangezur Corridor. Bektenov added that to strengthen the status of the Middle Corridor, the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is planned for this year, Bektenov’s official website reported.
