Türkiye's VP: Zangezur Corridor to transform Middle Corridor into key trade route

Türkiye's Vice President, Cevdet Yılmaz, emphasised the crucial role of the Middle Corridor's development during a joint press conference with Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Nokerguly Ataguliyev.

Yılmaz highlighted the strategic significance of enhancing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway's capacity and the anticipated opening of the Zangezur Corridor, which he believes will further increase the Middle Corridor's attractiveness as a key international trade route, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The Vice President also underlined that efforts to transport Turkmen gas through Türkiye to European and global markets are ongoing, reinforcing Türkiye's central role in regional energy and trade connectivity.

Note that, the Zangezur Corridor, a 43-kilometre route linking Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Armenia's Syunik region, is set to transform Eurasian transport. Connecting with Azerbaijan's Horadiz-Agbend highway and Türkiye's Nakhchivan-Igdir-Kars railway, the corridor aims to provide more direct access for goods between Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and the European Union.

Following the 44-day Karabakh war, which resulted in Azerbaijan's victory, Armenia was obligated to ensure unhindered movement through its territory to Nakhchivan, lifting a longstanding blockade. Though the corridor's full operation is still a few years away, Azerbaijan is already completing key infrastructure projects, including the Horadiz-Agbend railway and parallel highways.

The Zangezur Corridor will reduce travel distances for freight by 343 km compared to the current Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route, saving significant time and costs for Eurasian trade. Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries have shown keen interest in utilising the corridor as a transit route for European exports, further boosting its regional significance.

By Aghakazim Guliyev