Aze.Media
Who we are
Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
  • News
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Ecology
  • Culture
  • Diaspora
  • Interview
  • Science
  • Logistics-Transport
  • Gender
  • History
  • Defense
  • Karabakh
  • Home page
  • Culture
  • Defense
  • Diaspora
  • Gender
  • History
  • Interview
  • Karabakh
  • Logistics-Transport
  • News
    • Ecology
    • Economy
    • Energy
  • Opinion
  • Science
No Result
View All Result
Aze.Media
Home Logistics-Transport

Karabakh: an emerging regional transport hub

All the above-mentioned transport projects promise to speed up the economic development of Karabakh and aim to transform this war-torn area into an important regional transport hub.

Author: AzeMedia
June 3, 2021
in Logistics-Transport, Opinion
Reading Time: 4 mins read
thumbs_b_c_297dd8e95cf378026908bbade399cfc3

In late April 2021, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation for building an international airport in Zangilan District, as part of the national restoration process for Karabakh and the surrounding de-occupied regions (Abc.az, April 27). Speaking at the ceremony, Aliyev mentioned that the geographical location of the district and the transit capacity potential of the new airport will create opportunities for turning Zangilan into an international transport and logistics center. With a three-kilometer-long runway, the new airport will be able to accept all types of aircraft, including heavy-duty planes. The Zangilan airport will be one of three airports under development in and around Karabakh. The other two will be situated in the neighboring Fizuli and Lachin regions.

The restoration and reconstruction work in Karabakh started immediately after the signing of the trilateral declaration between the presidents of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia on November 9, 2020 (President.az. November 10, 2020). This declaration ended the 44-day Second Karabakh War and led to the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. For Baku, the main goal in the first stage of the restoration process is the establishment of all necessary transport routes and infrastructure that can subsequently accelerate the implementation of other projects and economic development in the Karabakh region.

Despite the large-scale destruction suffered by the previously occupied territories while under Armenian control, Azerbaijan has been able to quickly start and implement several important projects in its liberated areas. Notably, construction work on the first airport in Karabakh, situated in Fizuli District, has already begun, with the foundation having been laid on January 14 (Trend, April 22). The airport’s planned 2.8-kilometer runway is expected to be put into operation before the end of 2021. Fizuli airport will facilitate the travel of foreign visitors to the regained territories, especially to Shusha, the cultural center of Azerbaijan (see EDM, November 12, 2020). Moreover, the connection of Fizuli airport to the Fizuli–Shusha highway will facilitate tourist travel to Karabakh (Azernews.az, May 3, 2021). Further plans include building a third airport in Lachin District, although a suitable location is yet to be settled on (Axar.az, April 20). The new international airports around Karabakh will cover the entire liberated area well as the eastern Zangazur zone.

LatestNews

224464

‘Decisive steps by Armenia critical for cooperation in South Caucasus’

August 14, 2022
azerbaycan-iran

Iran continues to scheme against Azerbaijan

August 14, 2022

Pro-Kremlin analyst: Little by little all lands in Karabakh will come under Azerbaijan’s control

August 13, 2022

Yerevan’s “spy” campaign against Armenians seeking Azerbaijani citizenship

August 13, 2022

Beyond airports, Azerbaijan has also commenced work on restoring and expanding the network of local highways and railroads. The planned roads will enable access to Karabakh from the northern, eastern and southern directions.

Northeast of the liberated territories, Azerbaijan is repairing a 28-kilometer highway that connects the city of Tartar with the villages of Sugovushan and Talish (Azernews.az, December 30, 2020). And a planned extension of this project will restore 22 kilometers of highway from Talish to Naftalan.

South of Karabakh, Azerbaijan is building the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha highway, which will stretch to the center of Karabakh and end in Shusha (Azernews.az, January 7, 2021). The total length of this road will be 101 kilometers, and it is expected to be completed by late 2021 or 2022. The highway’s extension to Fizuli airport increases its strategic importance. Other overland transportation corridors in the southern direction include the Horadiz–Zangilan–Qubadli–Lachin road and the Horadiz–Fuzuli–Shusa railway (Report.az, December 18, 2020). Currently, these projects are in the planning stages; but implementation is expected to start in 2021.

The other crucial transit project for the region is the Horadiz–Agband railway. The foundation for this route was laid in February of 2021, and construction continues (Abc.az, February 15, 2021). At a 100 kilometers long, this railroad has strategic importance for Azerbaijan as it will connect the mainland with Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan’s landlocked exclave, via the Zangazur corridor (i.e., across southern Armenia—see EDM, April 5, 13, 21).

The (re)establishment of new railway lines is not only planned in the southern direction of Karabakh. In the eastern direction, restoration work is underway on the Barda–Aghdam railroad. This rail line was part of the 104-kilometer Yevlakh–Khankendi railway corridor, the operation of which had to be halted three decades ago, following the outbreak of Armenian-Azerbaijani hostilities over Karabakh. In the first stage of renovation, work will focus on a 45-kilometer section from Barda to Agdam, at a cost of $2.94 million, allocated by the government (Azertag, January 7). After that, reconstruction of the entire length of the Yevlakh–Khankendi railway will be feasible.

All the above-mentioned transport projects promise to speed up the economic development of Karabakh and aim to transform this war-torn area into an important regional transport hub. The connection of new and rebuilt transit routes in and around Karabakh to preexisting road and rail lines in eastern Azerbaijan as well as to the Zangazur corridor will not only expand the regional transport network but can also positively impact regional cooperation. Namely, these projects will support the implementation of the provisions of the trilateral declaration signed between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which envisions the eventual reopening of all communication links in the region. More broadly, the emerging transport hub in Karabakh will strengthen the position of the entire South Caucasus within the scope of trans-Eurasian transport projects such as the Middle Corridor and the International North South Transport Corridor—yet another illustration of how the outcome of the Second Karabakh War is changing the geopolitical realities of this corner of the world (see EDM, December 3, 2020 and February 18, 2021).

Orkhan Baghirov

Eurasia Daily Monitor

Share6Tweet4SendShare

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe

Related Posts

224464
Opinion

‘Decisive steps by Armenia critical for cooperation in South Caucasus’

August 14, 2022
azerbaycan-iran
Opinion

Iran continues to scheme against Azerbaijan

August 14, 2022
04-1_9810eab3
Opinion

Pro-Kremlin analyst: Little by little all lands in Karabakh will come under Azerbaijan’s control

August 13, 2022
IMG_6064-25.jpg
Opinion

Yerevan’s “spy” campaign against Armenians seeking Azerbaijani citizenship

August 13, 2022
hvuhndvmgq66
Opinion

Details of talks between Turkey and Armenia: Yerevan confirmed having no land claims against Turkey

August 12, 2022
2-formatOriginal
Opinion

Russia-Kazakhstan dynamic in the context of European energy and economic security

August 12, 2022
ursula-von-der-leyen-europaparlament
Opinion

Ursula von der Leyen jumped into the fight for Azerbaijan

August 11, 2022
Natalie-Loiseau-1
Opinion

Natalie Loiseau is concerned about Baku’s “unwillingness to stop”

August 10, 2022

New articles

Opinion

‘Decisive steps by Armenia critical for cooperation in South Caucasus’

August 14, 2022
Opinion

Iran continues to scheme against Azerbaijan

August 14, 2022
Energy

The burgeoning energy partnership between Azerbaijan and the EU

August 13, 2022
Opinion

Pro-Kremlin analyst: Little by little all lands in Karabakh will come under Azerbaijan’s control

August 13, 2022
Opinion

Yerevan’s “spy” campaign against Armenians seeking Azerbaijani citizenship

August 13, 2022
News

Ilham Aliyev on Operation Vengeance in Karabakh

August 12, 2022
Energy

Kazakhstan seeks to bypass Russia by selling oil through Azerbaijan

August 12, 2022
Interview

Farid Shafiyev: Burning houses in Lachin will entail military and legal accountability for Armenians

August 12, 2022
Opinion

Details of talks between Turkey and Armenia: Yerevan confirmed having no land claims against Turkey

August 12, 2022
Opinion

Russia-Kazakhstan dynamic in the context of European energy and economic security

August 12, 2022
c24a7d34-02d2-45a2-95ad-980aa8264ad5
426082d1-a9e4-4ac5-95d4-4e84024eb314
ab65ed96-2f4a-4220-91ac-f70a6daaf659
96e40a2b-5fed-4332-83c6-60e4a89fd4d0
759bde00-a375-4fa1-bedc-f8e9580ceeca
aze-media-logo-ag

Aze.Media offers an independent and strategic insight on socio-cultural, political and economic life in Azerbaijan. We are thinkers of diverse disciplines spread across countries working together as one team to provide international audiences with an alternative point of view on Azerbaijani and foreign realities.

Email: editor@aze.media


© 2021 Aze Media International Platform for Alternative Thought.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Economy
  • Ecology
  • Energy
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Gender
  • Interview
  • Science
  • Logistics-Transport
  • History
  • Defense
  • Karabakh
  • Diaspora
  • Who we are

© 2021 Aze Media International Platform for Alternative Thought.