Recently, accredited foreign diplomats in Baku made their 20th visit to the liberated lands of Karabakh and East Zangezur. Five years ago, during the 44-day war, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev showed foreign diplomats the aftermath of Armenian shelling of Azerbaijani cities. Today, he acquaints chargés d’affaires and military attachés with the results of the Great Return program.
However, this time the focus was slightly different. The diplomats were shown not only the rebuilt villages and cities or the new agricultural and industrial infrastructure — the main emphasis was placed on the progress of the Zangezur Corridor project.
Experts understand well how large-scale this task is. A railway is not just “rails and sleepers.” After more than a quarter of a century of inactivity, occupation, and war, even the railway bed itself requires serious rehabilitation. Moreover, a railway means an entire infrastructure: power supply, stations, warehouses, depots. Azerbaijan is restoring all of this — from Horadiz to Agbend — at record speed.
Hikmet Hajiyev shared on X (formerly Twitter):
“We are visiting the Jabrayil and Zangilan districts together with members of the diplomatic corps, following in the footsteps of President Ilham Aliyev. The first stop of our trip is the village of Horovlu. Throughout the visit, we will mainly focus on the construction of the Zangezur Corridor, as well as the ongoing railway and highway projects in the region. Since the 2020 Patriotic War, this marks our 20th visit to the liberated territories together with the diplomatic corps.”
According to him, Azerbaijan is considering involving international partners in the railway infrastructure of the Nakhchivan segment, which extends over 188 kilometers.
It is quite understandable why the Zangezur Corridor has drawn so much attention from global diplomacy. It is not only a matter of advancing the peace process — the logistical dimension is far more important. The Zangezur Corridor is expected to provide a shorter and more direct route from Azerbaijan to Turkey, especially via the Nakhchivan–Igdir road, and to become an essential part of the Middle Corridor — whose importance continues to grow amid the war in Ukraine and the rising tensions between Russia and Europe.
However, there remains one issue: Azerbaijan can and does carry out restoration work on its own territory, but there is still the so-called “Meghri section” — 42 kilometers of railway passing through Armenia — where, at least for now, no visible work has been done. And there is plenty to be done. It is worth recalling that during Serzh Sargsyan’s time, the railway’s equipment — from rails to power lines — was sold as scrap metal. While some tracks still exist, continuous operation is impossible. Formally, the agreement to open the Zangezur Corridor was reached on November 9–10, 2020, yet construction has not begun. As Hajiyev noted, Armenia is working on another segment of the Zangezur Corridor in partnership with the United States, and Azerbaijan is closely following these developments. But, as he implied, there is still no sign of the “Azerbaijani-style” pace of work on the Armenian side.
A few days ago, however, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a notable statement. After Azerbaijan allowed the transit of goods intended for Armenia through its territory, he announced:
“We are ready, starting today, to ensure the transit of cargo trucks from Turkey to Azerbaijan and vice versa via the Margara–Yeghegnadzor–Sisian–Goris route.”
At first glance, this appears to be a reciprocal step — a continuation of the process of unblocking regional communications. Armenia also seeks to use the Margara checkpoint, while a border checkpoint already exists between Goris and Lachin. Yet upon closer inspection, the proposal seems rather strange for Azerbaijan.
First, the suggested roads are mountainous and remain closed for several months a year due to weather conditions. Second, security issues remain unresolved. Third, the borders between Turkey and Armenia are still closed — and no one knows when they will open. Meanwhile, Nakhchivan already has a functioning checkpoint on the Azerbaijani-Turkish border, making it puzzling that Armenia would propose unreliable alternatives instead of the already agreed-upon Zangezur Corridor.
Azerbaijan, however, does have another option — the Araz Corridor, running through Iranian territory. Of course, it would be unfortunate if Yerevan’s obstinacy were to derail the U.S.-backed TRIPP project. But Azerbaijan, in every sense, is fulfilling its part of the work. The remaining questions are now for Yerevan — whose actions, and inactions, are being closely watched not only from Baku.
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
