Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said talks are under way between the United States and Armenia on what he described as the “Zangezur corridor.” He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, saying the route has particular importance for Baku as a new branch of the “Middle Corridor.”
According to Bayramov, road construction on Azerbaijani territory toward the Armenian border has been completed by 95%, while the railway project is 75% complete. He said both projects are scheduled to be finished in 2027. He also stated that railway reconstruction work has already begun in Nakhichevan.
Bayramov said a 42-kilometre section of the Turkey-Nakhichevan railway route passes through Armenian territory and described it as part of the project. He said design work should be completed this year, while physical construction is due to begin in 2027. He also claimed that although the section is considered Armenian territory, entry and exit would be carried out from Azerbaijan.
He argued that completion of the project would be important for enabling transport links from Europe via Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The source notes that Baku has repeatedly said its side of the project is almost ready for operation, while in Yerevan paperwork is still continuing both domestically and with the US side.
The article also says TRIPP is an Armenian-American project. Yerevan and Washington agreed that in the TRIPP joint development venture, the United States will hold a 74% stake for the first 49 years, while Armenia will hold 26%. If the cooperation is extended for another 50 years, Armenia’s share will increase to 49%.
The Armenian-American strategic agreement on TRIPP is already in the ratification process. First, the Constitutional Court must decide whether it is in line with Armenia’s Constitution. If the ruling is positive, the document will then be sent to parliament for ratification.
