Azerbaijan is actively constructing a railway in the direction of the ‘Zangezur Corridor’. The railway is reportedly about halfway to completion. With the railway, Azerbaijan is looking to open up a free movement corridor through southern Armenia to connect with its exclave Nakhchivan. The new route could be part of the ‘Middle Corridor’ land route from China to Europe.
The issue of the Zangezur Corridor was brought back on the agenda after recent wars fought between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan seeks to establish a corridor to its exclave Nakhchivan, while Armenia resists such a corridor amid hostile relations. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan has constructed almost half of the planned railway that leads to the Armenian border.
The Azerbaijani part of the railway is planned to be finished by the end of this year. It will have a length of 110 kilometres and pass nine stations. At the moment, almost 70 kilometres of railways have been built.
Middle Corridor
Azerbaijan places great importance on unimpeded access to its exclave Nakhchivan. Not only would it unite the two separated parts of the country, but it could also become part of the so-called ‘Middle Corridor’. The Middle Corridor is a transport route that connects China and Europe over land as an alternative to other routes through Russia and over sea. The Zangezur Corridor would create a direct link between Turkey and Azerbaijan, and Russia by extension.
However, the opening of the Zangezur Corridor is anything but a certainty as Armenia and Azerbaijan maintain hostile relations. To bypass the corridor, Azerbaijan has reached an agreement with its southern neighbour Iran for a route through the latter’s territory. The Iranian route also requires construction works, of which border bridges are the most important project.
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