President Aliyev: Azerbaijan ready to link Nakhchivan to power grid via Armenia

Azerbaijan has prepared a project to lay power transmission lines from mainland Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of Armenia, President Ilham Aliyev said.

“Of course, when we put forward the idea and initiative of the Zangezur Corridor, we primarily had the transportation segment in mind. But today, we are looking at this in a broader context,” President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijan Television in Nakhchivan, Azertag reports.

As an example, the head of state said: “We already have a project ready for laying power transmission lines from mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through the territory of Armenia.”

Aliyev said the project is part of a broader vision for regional connectivity extending beyond transportation.

“In our region, there is no other country as comprehensively supplied with energy as we are, whether in terms of oil and gas or electricity,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

“By expanding our export capabilities to neighboring countries, we will at the same time gain access to the European market. Because we have already reached Europe with our oil and gas, but we also wish to reach it with electricity,” the head of state noted.

The president also highlighted the potential economic impact of establishing the Zangezur Corridor, particularly for Nakhchivan.

“Of course, the transportation of, say, 15 million tons or perhaps more of cargo through here (the Zangezur Corridor – ed.) will lead to much greater activity,” President Aliyev said.

“More jobs will be created, economic activity will increase, and Nakhchivan, I can say, will become one of the indispensable transportation hubs. This is entirely possible,” the head of state added.

According to Aliyev, the railway connection through Nakhchivan has also attracted interest from international partners, including the European Union.

“Many international organizations and some countries are interested in this railway, particularly in the Nakhchivan segment of Azerbaijan’s railway. One of them is the European Union,” Aliyev said.

The head of state said that representatives of the European Union had been dispatched to Nakhchivan, where they familiarized themselves with the situation on the ground. The President noted that they also wanted to become participants in this corridor.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s infrastructure work on its side of the planned route was advancing rapidly.

“Today, the Horadiz–Aghband highway is almost complete. Only a few minor issues remain. The construction of the railway is also progressing rapidly,” the president underlined.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan could accelerate the implementation of the project at any time. “However, since the Armenian section is not ready, we see no need to do so,” the President said.

Aliyev described connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan as a long-standing strategic objective.

“As you know, the creation of the Zangezur Corridor was our initiative. Connecting the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan, which is an integral part of it, has been our long-standing dream,” Aliyev said.

The head of state noted: “We have been moving toward this goal step by step, and we have now approached it with confidence and great skill.”