Geopolitical insight from Azerbaijani president's recent address Sovereign paths

On January 28, President Ilham Aliyev delivered a significant speech during a meeting focused on transport issues. In this article, we examine the portions of his address that touch upon key geopolitical themes.

A central point of the President's speech was Azerbaijan's strategic use of its geographical position. He emphasized, "we have consistently shown interest in the passage of international transport corridors through Azerbaijan, through our territory, made efforts, and carried out practical work." Aliyev highlighted that both East-West and North-South transport corridors now pass through Azerbaijan, with the volume of goods moving along these routes increasing year on year. He also underscored Azerbaijan's proactive approach in developing physical infrastructure and advancing digitalization to streamline and enhance cargo transportation efficiency.

The president further emphasized the ongoing development of the North-South and East-West transport corridors, stressing that future growth in cargo traffic is anticipated. He stated, “This is an issue related to various reasons. But the fact is that we have now attracted and will continue to attract additional investment to increase the carrying capacity of these corridors.”

Aliyev also addressed the important issue of the Zangezur Corridor. The president highlighted that this project, proposed by Azerbaijan, was included in the international agenda following Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War, and the name Zangezur Corridor has been incorporated into international discourse and become an accepted global term. Aliyev added that Baku is taking practical steps to open this corridor. At the same time, the head of state noted that the Armenian side has maintained an unconstructive stance on this issue for over four years, effectively failing to fulfil the commitments made after the November 10 capitulation, specifically to provide transportation links between the main part of Azerbaijan and its integral part, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The president also touched upon the so-called "Crossroads of Peace" project, proposed by Armenia, stating that "their so-called project is completely irrelevant without Azerbaijan," and adding that if Yerevan truly wants to implement this project, it "should approach Azerbaijan." Thus, Aliyev emphasized that the "Crossroads of Peace" can only succeed if the Zangezur Corridor is opened. "Our terms are fair, grounded in international law and the obligations Armenia itself has undertaken. I would once again advise the Armenian leadership to carefully read the November 10 capitulation act and pay special attention to the paragraph I mentioned," said the Azerbaijani leader.

Furthermore, Aliyev stated that instead of adhering to these conditions, Yerevan is engaged in delaying tactics and misleading the international community, including launching dirty campaigns against Azerbaijan in various circles.

Pointing out the current lack of the shortest and most convenient route between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the president noted that Baku is fulfilling this need through alternative routes, primarily by implementing a route passing through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Aliyev added that the completion of the construction of a road bridge bypassing Armenia is expected this year. "The second bridge will also be built, this time in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The first bridge is under construction in the Zangilan district. Thus, Armenia will continue to be a dead-end country and their dreams of becoming a transit state will never be materialized. They will be the losing side, not us," the president concluded.

Moreover, Ilham Aliyev reinforced his demand to Armenia with a historical excursion, pointing out that the "Soviet authorities took West Zangezur from us in November 1920 and committed a crime against the Azerbaijani people," continuing this list with the creation of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region" on Azerbaijani territory, the relocation of Armenians by Tsarist Russia to Azerbaijani lands, the killing of the Karabakh khan despite the guarantees of governance in Karabakh, as well as the crimes that occurred right before our eyes—the Khojaly genocide, the events of January 20, and the occupation of our lands in the early 1990s.

"I repeat that we have no territorial claims to Armenia. However, Armenia must fulfil its obligations and provide unhindered passage from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan," Aliyev concluded the part of his speech dedicated to the Zangezur Corridor.

However, Aliyev also recalled other developments involving different actors. Noting the role of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, he shared that the United States strongly opposed the implementation of this project. According to the president, the reason for this was Washington's pro-Armenian policy — they believed the project sidelined Armenia.

"For this reason, the Georgian leadership at the time faced heavy pressure from the United States to prevent Georgia from agreeing to it. We had been negotiating with the Georgian side for several years, and finally, we succeeded in reaching an agreement. In particular, I personally discussed this issue repeatedly with high-ranking representatives of the American state and stated that they should not hinder us," Aliyev recounted.

The president shared how he told the Americans that this strategic project for Azerbaijan would, in the future, benefit other countries as well, including their allies. "Life has shown that, as always, we were right. Today, America's allies in Europe are very interested in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway," Aliyev said, adding, "At one time, those officials of the U.S. Department of State opposed us – I don't know where they are now, their names have not gone down in history – but we achieved this by showing serious determination."

In conclusion, it can be stated that Azerbaijan, as it has always done, remains committed to pursuing the most optimal solutions in transport policy, no matter the obstacles placed in its path.