Deputy FM: Armenia eyes private security for transport links with Azerbaijan

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan has said that Armenia is discussing the possibility of transferring the security of future transport communications with Azerbaijan to private security companies.

“Yes, this is possible, but at the moment there is no additional information," Safaryan noted during a parliamentary briefing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

He also noted that in this case, the private security firms would need to protect the sections of the communications that will pass through Azerbaijani territory.

Safaryan added that Armenian border guards and customs officers would still be present at the border.

The Zangezur Corridor, a key regional transport project initiated by Azerbaijan, is set to gain momentum with its Azerbaijani section expected to be completed in 2024. This corridor, established under Article 9 of the trilateral agreement signed on November 10, 2020, aims to restore all economic and transport links in the region following the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan war.

Article 9 stipulates that Armenia must ensure the safety of transport links between Azerbaijan's western regions and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, allowing for the smooth movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions.

The Zangezur Corridor's primary goal is to reestablish a direct overland connection between Azerbaijan's mainland and the Nakhchivan exclave, which will then link to the Turkish transport network, facilitating access to European markets.