Azerbaijan nears completion of key Zangezur Corridor transport links, official says

Construction of the Horadiz–Aghband railway, a core segment of Azerbaijan’s planned Zangezur Corridor, has reached 69% completion, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov said on December 23.

Speaking at the 2nd Azerbaijan–Türkiye Investment Forum, Hummatov said the Horadiz–Aghband highway is even closer to completion, with 95% of construction finished. Both transport routes are expected to become fully operational by the end of next year, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

The deputy minister stressed that the opening of the Zangezur Corridor holds strategic significance for the region, noting that it is expected to significantly boost trade and transit flows between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

Hummatov also said work has already begun on modernising transport infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave. He added that the construction of the Kars–Nakhchivan railway on Turkish territory will be essential for enabling the corridor to operate at full capacity.

The deputy minister also stated that the projects will create an integrated circular railway system in the region, capable of transporting up to 15 million tons of cargo annually.

The TRIPP project, formally known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is a US-brokered infrastructure initiative in the South Caucasus aimed at establishing a strategic transport corridor through Armenian territory.

It connects mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave with a 43 kilometres stretch across Armenia's Syunik province (Zangezur-ed.), while facilitating broader East-West trade routes from Türkiye to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. 

By Sabina Mammadli